SAINT PETER, Minn. – The Gustavus men’s basketball team will play host to Bethel at 7 p.m. on Wednesday night for a key MIAC matchup. The Gusties enter the contest with a record of 10-13 overall and 7-11 in the MIAC while the Royals enter at 16-7 overall and 13-5 in the league.
Senior Day
As is tradition at Gustavus, the final home game of the regular season is designated as Senior Day and a special tribute is made to the individuals who have dedicated themselves to Gustavus men’s basketball the past four years. This year, the Athletics Department, Head Coach Mark Hanson, parents, and fans salute the six student-athletes who have represented the men’s basketball program with pride and class throughout their collegiate careers. Student-athletes honored today for their years of commitment are Bobby Brooks, Charlie Krambeer, Riley Sharbono, Brandon Snoberger, Spencer Tollefson, and Matt Blomquist.
Playoff Implications
With two games left the play, Gustavus is competing against Hamline and Concordia for the sixth and final playoff spot. Here are the scenarios that would clinch a playoff berth for Gustavus:
- Gustavus wins two games + Hamline loses one of final two games
- Gustavus beats Concordia + two Hamline losses
- Gustavus beats Bethel + two Hamline losses + Concordia loss to Carleton
If Gustavus beats Bethel, Concordia wins out, and Hamline loses both, the Gusties and Cobbers would head to tiebreakers which would be based on the final standings of Augsburg and Bethel, which is still up in the air.
The Series
Tonight’s matchup marks the 90th all-time meeting between the two teams with the Gusties currently holding a 59-30 advantage. The last time the two teams met was on Jan. 21, 2019 where the Royals defeated Gustavus 83-64.
Scouting the Gusties
Gustavus enters the contest most recently following a tough road loss to Augsburg last Wednesday 94-88. CJ Woda led the Gusties in the contest notching 16 points, six rebounds, and four assists. Spencer Tollefson has had a solid run of games averaging 11 points and 2.5 assists in the teams previous six games. Through 23 games this season the Gusties average 71.8 points per game while allowing 76.7, marks that rank fifth and 10 in the MIAC, respectively. Gustavus is also third in the league in field goal percentage and rebounding margin.
Scouting the Royals
Bethel comes into the contest most recently defeating Concordia 74-56 on Saturday. Through 23 games this season the Royals average 76.0 points and allow 70.3 points, marks which both rank fourth in the MIAC. There field goal percentage of 46.2 and three point percent of 38.5 are both also good for fourth best in the league. The Royals are led offensively by the quartet of Granger Kingland, Derek Magnuson, Jack Jenson, and Matt Ambriz, who all average over 12 points per game. Magnuson and Kingland are also the teams top two rebounders with averages of 8.0 and 7.7 respectively, while Tyler Barker averages a MIAC best 5.2 assists for the Royals.