Gustavus vs. Carleton
Date: Wednesday, Jan. 3
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: St. Peter, Minn. | Gus Young Court
Live Coverage: Stats | Video
ST. PETER, Minn. – The Gustavus men’s basketball team is set to kick off the new year heading back into Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference action, hosting Carleton College Wednesday evening at Gus Young Court. The Gusties (6-4, 4-1 MIAC) and the Knights (6-3, 4-0 MIAC) are both looking to snap two-game losing skids.
The Series
Wednesday’s game marks the 92nd meeting between Gustavus and Carleton on the hardwood, with the Gusties holding a 55-36 advantage in the all-time series. The Knights swept Gustavus last season, winning 79-60 in Northfield and 63-60 in St. Peter.
Last Time Out
The Gusties most recently dropped a non-conference matchup against the University of Minnesota-Morris last Saturday, falling 76-71 at Gus Young Court. Gustavus led 71-70 with 2:15 to play in the game before the Cougars scored six unanswered points to close out the game. Zach Bloemker (Fy., Marshall, Minn.) led the Gusties with a career-high 24 points, including 7-of-12 from beyond the arc. Vannis Smith (Crystal Lake, Ill.) and Jason Faul (Sr., Prior Lake, Minn.) added 13 and 12 points, respectively.
About the Knights
Carleton has most recently lost two consecutive non-conference games, dropping matchups against the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and Bethany Lutheran College. However, the Knights are unbeaten during MIAC play and rank atop of the conference standings with Saint John’s University. Forwards Kent Hanson and Kevin Grow lead the team as the top two scorers in the MIAC with 18.1 and 18.0 points per game, respectively. Grow also leads the conference with 12.3 rebounds per game.
Gustavus Notables
- The Gusties matched their win total from last season with the Dec. 6 win at Augsburg.
- The 4-0 start to conference play is the best since the 2014-15 season, in which Gustavus began MIAC action with a 5-0 start.
- Gustavus ranks atop the conference in three-point field goal defense, limiting its opponents to a 29.0 percent mark from beyond the arc.
- The Gusties also rank first in the MIAC with 38.4 rebounds per game.
- Kelsey Thomas (Sr., Wiesbaden, Germany) leads the Gusties with 7.0 rebounds per game, ranking fourth in the MIAC.
- Riley Sharbono leads the MIAC with a 50-for-58 clip mark from the free throw line.