ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Gustavus Adolphus College men’s basketball team was able to break its two-game losing streak, defeating Hamline University 85-70 on Saturday afternoon at Hutton Arena. The victory improves the Gusties to 5-7 overall and 2-5 in the MIAC, while the Pipers move to 3-8 overall and 1-6 in the conference.
“We haven’t shot the ball well the past few games, but found a better flow and rhythm in this game and started shooting a lot better” said Coach Mark Hanson. “This is certainly an important win coming off of five straight conference losses. We needed it both mentally and in the standings.”
The Pipers got off to a hot start, outscoring the Gusties 6-0 in the first five minutes of the half. However, the Gusties battled back quickly, grabbing the lead for the remainder of the half at the 13:55 mark. By halftime, the Black and Gold found itself with a 45-34 lead.
During the second half, Gustavus continued to pour on the points, and broadened its lead to 24 at the 6:49 mark. Riley Sharbono (Fy., Marshall, Minn.) aided in the Gusties success, as he scored seven of his career high 18 total points in the second half, including going 2-for-3 from beyond the arc in the final 20 minutes. Overall, the Marshall native went 7-of-10 from the floor, and 3-for-5 from long range.
“We played confidently and found the open players at the right times instead of holding the ball for too long, and played well in transition” said Sharbono after the victory.
Chad Poppen (Sr., St. Peter, Minn.) also reached double-digit scoring with 11 points, including going 3-for-4 from three. Brody Ziegler (Sr., Mankato, Minn) continued to be efficient offensively chipping in another 13 points, shooting 5-for-5, and adding three free throws.
The Pipers were led by Connor Knutson with 20 points, followed by teammate Herbert Tarpeh who added 16.
The Gusties finished the game shooting 57.4 percent (31-54), while the Pipers shot a similar 55.6 percent (25-45). The Gustavus bench played a large role in the victory, as it tallied 46 total points compared to the 22 from Hamline’s reserves. The Gusties also out-rebounded the Pipers 31-17.
The Gusties return to MIAC play on Monday, Jan. 11 at 7 p.m. when it hosts St. Olaf at Gus Young Court.