Box Score

ARDEN HILLS, Minn. - The Bethel men got back on the winning track after a loss at Hamline by soundly defeating St. Olaf today, 86-72. The Royals jumped out to a 13-point lead by the midway point of the first half, and never looked back. The team was on fire from the field today, shooting for over 50% whether they were inside the 3-point line (51.6%) or outside it (54.5%). The Royals not only played spectacular offense, but also stifled St. Olaf on defense as well. They were able to put heavy pressure on St. Olaf's guards, creating 11 steals and forcing the Oles into some sloppy play.
 
Four of Bethel's players scored at least 15 points today, led by Rob Lang (Sr., Johnston, Iowa), who played a phenomenal game, scoring a career-high 18 points on 7-for-8 shooting. In addition to his scoring burst, Lang also led the team in steals, and turned in four rebounds and three assists. Nate Robertson (Sr., Forest Lake, Minn.) made his presence felt today by collecting 11 rebounds and dropping in 16 points, giving him his sixth double-double of the year. This was his fourth double-double in the last five games, a stretch over which he has average 18 points and 10 rebounds.

Chris Vavra (Sr., Cambridge, Minn.) and Greg Meyer (Fr. Brooklyn Center, Minn.) also had solid performances today,  scoring 15 points and 16 points, respectively.

Bobby Fong led the Oles with 24 points and nine rebounds, while Nate Krosschell scored 20 and cleaned up seven boards.

Bethel is now 11-10 overall and 7-9 in the MIAC, while St. Olaf drops its sixth game in a row, making the Oles 6-10 in the conference and 8-13 overall. The Royals are hoping to carry this momentum forward to their next game, an exciting battle against St. Thomas, the #1 team in the MIAC. The game will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 10 at 7:30 p.m. in the Robertson Center.