NORTHFIELD, Minn. – Despite erasing a seven-point halftime deficit and forcing the game into overtime, the Gustavus men’s basketball team was unable to hold off Carleton in the final five minutes, losing 64-53. The Gusties fall to 5-9 overall and 2-7 in the MIAC, while the Knights improve to 10-4 overall and 7-2 in the league.
Carleton scored the first two points of the game and never relinquished the lead for the entire half. The Gusties kept the score close, though, as they played within seven points until a three-pointer by Carleton gave it a nine-point advantage with 1:10 remaining in the half. Playing in his first game since an injury on Dec. 2, Gary Cooper (Sr., Detroit, Mich.) made a layup to close the first 20 minutes and the Gusties went into halftime with a 28-21 deficit. Cooper scored a team-high eight points in the first half.
Carleton maintained a four-to-nine-point lead for the first five minutes of the second, but Gustavus then scored 11 unanswered points to take a 39-35 advantage at the 9:08 mark. The scoring run was sparked by a pair of layups by Brody Ziegler (Sr., Mankato, Minn.), followed by a Chad Poppen (Sr., St. Peter, Minn.) layup, Chris Narum (Sr., Eagan, Minn.) three-pointer and finally a layup by Cooper.
The Gusties held on to their lead until the 5:20 mark when a three-pointer put the Knights ahead 44-43. From the point on, there were four ties and three lead changes for the remainder of regulation. Cooper sunk a jumper with 1:37 on the clock to give the Gusties a 51-50 lead, but a free throw by the Knights tied the game and the two squads went into overtime tied 51-51.
Gustavus simply had trouble making shots in the overtime period as it went 1-for-8 from the field, and was forced to foul, sending the Knights to the charity stripe 14 times. Carleton made 8-of-14 from the free throw line en route to an 11-point victory.
Carleton shot 44.2 percent (19-43) from the field throughout the game, while the Gusties shot 36.1 percent (22-61). Three-point shooting proved to be a problem for the Gusties as they shot 1-for-23 from beyond the arc. Rebounds were close as Carleton won the battle 36-32.
Cooper led the Gusties with 20 points in his first game back from a seven-week injury. Ziegler also reached double figures with 11 points and was one-rebound shy of a double-double with nine boards.
Gustavus remains on the road next Wednesday as it travels to Saint John’s for a 7 p.m. tipoff.