Box Score

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. - Playing without three starters, the Royals fought back in the second half against the Saint John's Johnnies, but were unable to pull even, falling 67-61.

During the first half, Bethel's offense struggled, making just eight field goals. However, the defense held tough, keeping the Royals within striking distance, making the score 32-22 at halftime.

Bethel pulled within one point at 11:52 of the second half, as the missed shots from the first half began falling. Unfortunately, the Johnnies went on a 10-0 run, giving themselves a cushion the Royals could not overcome. Bethel scratched and clawed back to three points with under a minute left, but it would be too little, too late. Saint John's made five of six free-throws down the stretch, sealing the game, 67-61.

Greg Meyer (Fr., Brooklyn Center, Minn.) and Daniel Baah led the charge for Bethel as the Royals shot 53 percent in the second half. Meyer was Bethel's leading scorer with 13 points and pulled down a team-high nine rebounds. Baah scored all 12 of his points after halftime. Sam Blank and Aaron Barmore led the Johnnies with 14 points each.

After the loss, the Royals fall to 2-2 (0-1) and St. John's improves to 4-2 (1-0). Bethel's next game is scheduled for this Saturday, beginning at 3 p.m. against Saint Mary's University, in Winona, Minn.