Box Score
ARDEN HILLS, Minn. -
Tim Madson and
Mike Moberg accounted for more than half of Bethel's points as the Royals defeated the Macalester Scots 83-79 tonight at home.
Madson (Jr., Redwood Falls, Minn.) finished the night with 25 points and six assists. Moberg (Jr., Plymouth, Minn.) also reached the 20-point mark and added 11 rebounds for his first double-double since Bethel defeated Carleton more than a month ago.
The Royals and Scots played neck and neck all throughout the first half with six tied scores. Just before the end of the half, Bethel moved the ball around until they found an open Moberg who sent the Royals into the locker room with a 44-42 lead on a slam dunk.
Bethel continued to build momentum in the second half, leading by as many as 12 points. However, timely three-point shooting by Paul Richie and strong play down low from the MIAC's leading scorer, Tom Conboy, kept Macalester in the game. Bethel was able to keep Conboy from reaching his season average of 25 points by holding him to 18. However, Conboy also pulled down 18 rebounds for a double-double.
Cory Laugen (Jr., Blaine, Minn.) also picked up a double-double by scoring 15 points for the Royals and picking up 10 rebounds of his own. Laugen is averaging nearly 13 points per game since returning from the ankle injury he suffered at the beginning of December.
As a team, the Royals out-rebounded the Scots by a margin of 47-36.
Shane Flannery (So., Lakeville, Minn.) covered that margin on his own with 11 rebounds, equaling teammate Moberg's performance. Bethel held the biggest advantage in offensive rebounds by grabbing 18 compared to just six for Macalester, limiting their second-chance scoring opportunities.
The Royals have now won three conference games in a row and have pulled back to .500 at 4-4 in the MIAC and 8-5 overall. Macalester falls to 3-5 in the conference after having started out 3-0. They are now 5-8 overall. Bethel will try to continue their winning ways when they take on Saint Mary's this Saturday at 3 p.m. at the Robertson Center.
