ARDEN HILLS, Minn. – The Gustavus men’s basketball team Monday couldn’t hold on to a second half lead at Bethel, losing 66-62 in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference matchup. The Gusties led by seven points nearly halfway through the second half, but the Royals went on a 12-3 run over a three-minute span and held on for the slim victory. The Gusties fall to 5-19 overall and 5-14 in the MIAC, while the Royals improve to 18-6 overall and 14-5 in the league.
The first 20 minutes saw five ties and five lead changes with the Royals holding the largest advantage, 13-6, at the 13:45 mark. The Gusties responded with eight unanswered points to take the lead and were able to claim a six-point advantage, 22-16, at the 5:49 mark. Bethel made an off-balance shot as the buzzer sounded for halftime and took a 28-27 lead into the locker room.
Gustavus used a 10-2 run to start the second half and led 37-30 at the 15:31 mark. The Gusties held the lead until the 8:03 mark as the Royals went on a 12-3 run over a three-minute span to take a 52-50 advantage. The Black and Gold was able to tie the score three more times, but Bethel made four straight shots down the stretch to pull away for the victory.
Riley Sharbono (So., Marshall, Minn.) and Peter Kruize (Sr., St. Peter, Minn.) led the Gusties offensively with 17 points apiece. Sharbono also hauled in a career-high six rebounds. Kelsey Thomas (Jr., Wiesbaden, Germany) finished with a double-double, scoring 16 points and grabbing a career-high 12 boards.
Both teams were relatively even in the front court with the Royals out-shooting the Gusties 44.6 percent to 43.1 percent. Neither team was successful from beyond the arc with Gustavus shooting 2-for-13 and Bethel 3-for-17. The Gusties edged the Royals down low 38-37 in rebounding.
Gustavus wraps up the season at 3 p.m. Saturday as it hosts Carleton on Senior Day.