BOX SCORE
ARDEN HILLS, Minn. - Despite a bruised and battered Bethel men's basketball squad, the Royals came out Monday night and showcased its heart in the 73-66 defeat over Concordia College. The Royals outscored the Cobbers 31-30 in the first half and 42-36 in the second, but in both periods Concordia looked as if it was going to run away with the competition. Numerous factors led to the Royals success, but none speak louder than a 42-5 advantage over Concordia in bench points. Head Coach Jeff Westlund and his staff had its team playing inspired basketball on the first game back after a three-week hiatus.
In the first period BU delivered the first points on a JD Robinson (Jr., Plymouth, Minn.) jumper. From there the Royals clung to the lead for the next 19 minutes and 40 seconds. In fact throughout that time, Bethel surmounted an 11-point lead when posting a 15-4 run with just under 11 minutes to go in the opening frame. BU kept its 11-point advantage until the 3:51-mark when the Cobbers started to drain shots left and right. Concordia rattle off a 14-0 run that put the Cobbers ahead 30-29, for the first time in the entire game with 20 seconds remaining on the clock. Luke Buttenhoff (So., Watertown, Minn.) rattle in a layup in the paint with just seconds to go, giving the Royals a 31-30 advantage after the first set of 20 minutes.
Robinson and Buttenhoff carried Bethel in the opener with 10 points each. Buttenhoff was a perfect five-for-five from the floor, while Robinson was four-for-eight with two rebounds. The Royals had amassed 16 points off of turnovers, a solid 10 point difference from its competitor. At the half-way point, BU had totalled a 19-5 gap when comparing bench points.
The Royals extended its lead to five to begin the second period, until the Cobbers snuck back to tie the game and eventually take the lead with 16:56 to play. From there Concordia hung on to the lead for the next 11 minutes, where it just about put the game out of reach when leading by eight points with ten minutes left. When the Cobbers were leading by eight points, however, Taylor Hall (Jr., Blaine, Minn.) hit a layup and Buttenhoff finished a bucket down low to diminish the Concordia-Moorhead lead to four. With 7:43 to go Bjorn Westlund (Jr., Mounds View, Minn.) hit the shot of the night from downtown to bring the Royals to within one and change the momentum of the game for good. The Cobbers hit a three-pointer to answer, yet from then on BU was in control. In fact, Bethel showed its true character when manufacturing a 16-6 run in the final five minutes of the game, which brought the game to a close in favor of the Royals, 73-66.
The second half featured two more BU players as Taylor Hall and Kyle Zimmerman (So., Champlin, Minn.) tag-teamed for 23 points, six rebounds, three assists, and two steals in the latter half alone. Greg Meyer (Jr., Brooklyn Center, Minn.) also contributed six second half points. Another critical element throughout the second half was the Royals ability to get to the charity stripe and convert. Bethel made 14-of-17 opportunities from the free-throw line, whereas Concordia only mustered 13-of-24 in the second period. Bethel's defense also held the Cobbers bench to zero points, while adding its own 23 bench points on offense.
Hall led the Royals throughout the evening competition with 18 points, four rebounds, four assists, and three steals. Three others contributed double-digits offensively, including Buttenhoff with 15, Zimmerman with 13, and Robinson with 10. Buttenhoff finished 7-of-10 from the floor, while Hall finished 7-for-12. Zimmerman reached the foul line 11 times and maintained a poise spirit to finish 7-of-11. As a team, Bethel outscored the Cobbers 24-13 in points off turnovers and 26-24 in points in the paint. From the floor, BU finished 26-of-53 for a 49.1 percent shooting mark.
Bethel looks to keep building momentum on the road as the Royals travel to Collegeville, Minn. Wednesday to take on Saint John's University, who took down defending NCAA Division III Champions St. Thomas Monday night. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.
