SAINT PETER, Minn. – The Gustavus men’s basketball team is seeking its third straight win Saturday at Bethel for a 1 p.m. MIAC tipoff. The Gusties enter the contest 5-8 overall and 5-3 in the MIAC, while the Royals are 8-4 overall and 5-2 in the league.
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The Series: Saturday’s game marks the 92nd meeting between Gustavus and Bethel on the hardwood with the Gusties leading the all-time series 59-32. Bethel has had the upper hand as of late, winning the last seven games, including a 93-67 win in the MIAC playoffs on Feb. 19, 2019.
Scouting the Gusties: Gustavus has won its last two games, most recently defeating Saint Mary’s 76-65 on Wednesday. The Gustie defense has been the highlight in conference games as they lead the league in blocks at 5.3 per game, three point defense at 28.7 opponents’ shooting percentage, and are second in opponents field goal percentage at 41.0. They also distributed the ball well with a MIAC leading 16.7 assists average and haul in 35.9 rebounds per game, which ranks second in conference games. Kaleb Feahn has been the top point scorer in the past five games, averaging 18.2 points while shooting 52.0 percent from the floor and 56.0 percent from beyond the arc. He is also an 86.2 percent free throw shooter and tied a program record with 14 made free throws in Wednesday’s win at Saint Mary’s. Logan Rezac leads all starters with 14.1 points per game, while Jake Guse leads the MIAC with 2.5 blocks per game.
Scouting the Royals: The Royals have gone 2-2 in their last four games, most recently losing to Augsburg 80-75 on Wednesday night. Through 12 games, Bethel averages 75.3 points, which is second most in the MIAC, and shoots a conference leading 46.8 percent from the field and 38.4 percent from three point range. The Royals average 32.8 rebounds and have a +3.6 margin. The trio of Granger Kingland, Jack Jenson, and Isaiah Carver-Bagley lead the offense with 13.4, 13.3, and 13.3 points per game. Kingland also leads down on the post with 7.4 rebounds per game. Noah Whalen is a threat off the bench, shooting a MIAC high 53.6 percent (15-28) from three point range.