The Gustavus men’s basketball team jumped out to a 12-0 lead and never looked back in claiming a convincing 90-56 win over Hamline at Gus Young Court on Saturday afternoon. The Gusties claimed their seventh consecutive win and improved their record to 11-5 overall and 9-2 in the MIAC. Junior wing Adam TeBrake led Gustavus with 22 points, while Kyle Foster led the Pipers with 16 points.
The Gusties were hitting on all cylinders from the start of the game and held a commanding 20-point lead at 29-9 with 10:15 left in the first half. TeBrake led the way scoring 11 of the team’s first 29 points. The Gusties scored quickly and often throughout the first half and led 52-23 at the intermission. Gustavus shot 60.0 percent from the field (21-35) and 80.0 percent from the free throw line (8-10) in the half.
Gustavus continued to roll in the second half as Coach Mark Hanson’s squad extended its lead to 36 points at 63-27 with 14:17 left in the game. A three-point basket by Adam TeBrake at the 11:14 mark gave the Gusties a 39-point lead (their largest of the game) at 68-29. Hamline would get no closer than 31 points (77-46 at the 5:11 mark) the rest of the game. Two free throws by junior Jared Hokenson with :33 left allowed the Gusties to reach 90 points for the second time this season. The first time was a 91-60 win over the Pipers on December 1.
Three Gustavus players scored in double figures including TeBrake with 22, Doug Espenson with 16 and Phil Sowden with 14. Thirteen different players scored for the Gusties who shot 55.6 percent from the field (35-63) and 78.9 percent from the free throw line (15-19).
Hamline was led in scoring by Kyle Foster with 16 points. No other Piper scored in double figures. Coach Barry Wohler’s squad shot 44.6 percent from the field (25-56) and 71.4 percent from the free throw line (5-7). The Pipers struggled from three-point range making only 1-of-9 shots and turned the ball over 26 times.
Gustavus improves to 11-5 overall and 9-2 in the MIAC, while Hamline falls to 5-11 overall and 3-8 in the MIAC. The Gusties will travel to Concordia next Wednesday, while the Pipers will travel to Carleton.