BOX SCORE

ARDEN HILLS, Minn. - To say the Bethel Men's Basketball team got a monkey off their back Saturday would be an understatement. Playing host to Concordia College, the Royals defeated the Cobbers 81-77 in a back-and-forth battle that saw the Royals finally come out on top. The win marks the first MIAC victory for the Royals on the season.

In the first half of play, the Royals kept the game close as the Cobbers couldn't string together a significant lead and any time during the duration of the half. With a decent scoring output of 37 points as a team, Bethel appeared to be in a good spot heading into the locker room only down by three. Both Taylor Hall (So., Blaine, Minn.) and Luke Buttenhoff (Fr., Watertown, Minn.) paced the Royals in scoring in the first, with Hall draining 11 points, and Buttenhoff with 10. Along with his 10 points, Buttenhoff also played stellar defense collecting 3 steals for the Royals.

Making some clutch shots and leading Bethel with 16 points in the second half, Daniel Baah (Jr., Farmington, Minn.) aided the Royals to a nine point lead midway through the half. While the Royals were playing solid ball, Concordia began to heat up as they clawed their way back into the game with the clock ticking down. With time dwindling, the Cobbers to a brief three point lead, thus bringing in the thought of the Royals falling late in a close game again. However, it was not to be, as Bethel finally took over the lead for good on a Baah three point with 40 seconds remaining. Fending off any Concordia attack, the Royals would go on to win 81-77. Baah led the team in scoring with 22 points. Hall finished with a nice 19 points. And Buttenhoff finished up the afternoon with 14 points off the bench.

Hopefully the Royals momentum will carry over to Monday evening when they will take on St. Olaf College at the Robertson Center.