ARDEN HILLS, Minn. – The Gustavus men’s basketball team battled back, but fell to Bethel Saturday afternoon 73-69. With the loss the Gusties fall to 5-9 overall and 5-4 in the MIAC, while the Royals move to 9-4 overall and 6-2 in the league.
Jake Guse (So., Waseca) was able to dominate inside early, dropping in his first three shot attempts in the first 2:57 of game to put the Gusties up 6-2 in the early going. A few possessions later, with the Gusties holding an 8-4 lead, the Royals made their first run. The home team knocked down three-pointers on four straight possessions with the Gusties notching just one basket as Bethel took a 16-10 lead.
Peter Lundquist (Jr., Rochester) would come off the bench and play a key role in the first half for the Black and Gold, pouring in 11 first half points. With Gustavus trailing by six, Lundquist would go 4-4 and drop in nine points, as the Gusties went on a 15-11 run to cut the Bethel lead to 27-25. Bethel would get going again late, outscoring Gustavus 14-7 in the final 5:47 to take a 41-32 lead heading into the break.
The Gusties would come out of the break hot, going on a 13-3 run, capped off by a Lundquist jumper to give the Black and Gold a 45-44 lead. Gustavus would push its lead to 50-46, before Bethel responded 17-5 run to go up 63-55. A Logan Rezac (Jr., Andover) and-one, an Isaac Douglas (Jr., Montevideo) layup, and a Rezac three matched by two Royal baskets would put the score at 70-63 with 2:38 to play.
Douglas then came up huge knocking down a three to pull the score within four, before another Royal bucket pushed the lead back to six. Douglas then pulled up from way down town and knocked another down to cut the lead to three and make it a one possession game. Gustavus would force a shot clock violation with 16 seconds left, before Bethel fouled on the ensuing and elected to send the Gusties to the line for a one-and-one opportunity. The Gusties missed the free throw, with the Royals controlling the rebound and making a free throw to ice the game.
Douglas led the way for the Gusties with 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting, while Lundquist had 17 points off the bench. Rezac added 12 points, seven rebounds, and five assists, while Guse had 11 points on 4-of-4 shooting from the field and added six rebounds.
The Gusties are next in action Wednesday when they travel to Concordia for a 5:15 p.m. contest.