Kelsey Thomas (Photo courtesy of Alex Nadeau, SPX Sports)
ST. PETER, Minn. – The Gustavus men’s basketball team struggled to find shooting consistency in a 41-59 non-conference loss against Buena Vista University Tuesday evening at Gus Young Court.
The Gusties, now 1-2 overall, found themselves in a hole early on as they went 0-for-13 from the field to start the game. Gustavus found its stride a bit, coming back to take its only lead of the game at 10-9 with just under six minutes remaining in the half. Both teams shot under 30 percent from the field in the first 20 minutes while Buena Vista held a 21-18 advantage at the break.
“We lacked some intent and focus, I don’t know if it was because we were playing at home for the first time or what,” Head Coach Mark Hanson said.
The Beavers outscored the Black and Gold by 15 in the second half while maintaining the lead for the final 20 minutes, outshooting Gustavus from the field with a 40 percent mark, compared to the Gusties 29 percent.
Gustavus shot 16-for-56 from the field and 3-23 from beyond the arc in the game. Kelsey Thomas (Sr., Wiesbaden, Germany) recorded his second consecutive with 12 points and 10 rebounds to guide the Gusties, while Riley Sharbono (Jr., Marshall, Minn.) also tallied 12 points and collected eight boards.
“Our movement certainly has to be better,” Hanson commented. “Our defense was solid for most of the game, with the exception of the offensive rebounds. If you’re making stops, it’s easier to play offense with comfort. We had moments where I thought our offense moved the ball well.”
The Gusties next head to Central College in Pella, Iowa for another non-conference matchup on Saturday.