Box Score

ARDEN HILLS, Minn. - Playing on back-to-back nights, the Bethel Royals men's basketball team was unable to make a final push in the Olive Garden Tip-Off Tournament, falling to UW-Stout 78-73. It was the first time since the 2000-01 season that the Royals did not win the Tip-Off Tournament they host.

The first half was played at a frenetic pace, with both teams committing their share of turnovers - Stout with 15 and Bethel with 11. But the Blue Devils still managed to build a 39-33 lead going into halftime. The physical nature of the game seemed to frustrate the Royals early and they struggled to find a flow on the offense end.

"We need to learn how to use our bodies," said Coach Jeff Westlund, "physicality is a fundamental piece of the game."

Coming out of halftime, the Royals cut the score to 43-40, but could not put together a run big enough to gain the lead. They were able to match UW-Stout's intensity and physical play, trading baskets for the remainder of the game. The score was never out of reach for Bethel, as they closed the gap to within three points at 76-73 with 22 seconds left, but the Blue Devils made their free throws down the stretch and closed out the victory.

"We knew a Wisconsin team would bring a lot of toughness," said Chris Vavra (Sr., Cambridge, Minn.), "but we couldn't finish off some plays and we weren't hitting our shots."

Coach Westlund agreed with Vavra's comments, saying that "basketball is a game of flow, if we make a few shots here or there, its a different game."

While there were lapses on the defensive end and a lack of good free-throw shooting, Westlund also saw positives on a team filled with underclassmen.

"We just have young guys that need more experience," said Westlund, "they played well together, we don't have any selfish players, and now we need good leadership from our older guys."

Vavra led the Royals with 20 points on 8-18 shooting and 3-9 from behind the arc. Rob Lang (Sr., Johnston, Iowa) was second with 13 points, going 3-3 from the field and 7-9 from the free throw line. Mahlon Thomas was the Blue Devils leading scorer with 20 points to go along with seven rebounds.

After the loss, Bethel is now 1-1 on the year and Stout improves to 2-1. Next up for the Royals is a trip down to Mankato, Minn., to face Bethany Lutheran College. The game will be played on Tuesday at 7 p.m.