NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The Royals men's basketball team was unable to break the .500 winning percentage in conference play Saturday as it fell to St. Olaf 74-57 in Northfield, Minn. BU trailed by three at the break, but couldn't narrow the gap any further in the final 20 minutes as the Oles ran away in the second period.
In the opening frame, Bethel managed to hit 13-of-27 shots that lead to a 48 percent mark from the floor. However, BU mustered just nine makes in the second, finishing the game with a 38 percent shooting mark in the game. The Royals were outrebounded 38-41, but severely hurt by the Oles ability to get second chances. St. Olaf grinded out 19 offensive rebounds, which allowed a number of second-chance buckets. For the game BU capitalized on all of its shots from the charity stripe, knocking down all ten of its free throw attempts.
Taylor Hall (Jr., Blaine, Minn.) led Bethel with a 20-point, 11-rebound double-double effort. Today's 20 points welcomed Hall into the 1,000-point club, as the junior needed 18 points coming into the contest. Hall, who took a medical redshirt after transferring from Bemidji State, looks to become one of the all-time leading scorers in BU history with the opportunity to play one more season after this year.
Kyle Zimmerman (So., Champlin, Minn.) also broke the double-digit point category with 10 points and three rebounds.
Bobby Fong of St. Olaf had a career day, hitting 15-of-23 shots, including 5-of-8 from beyond the arc, for a total of 36 points. Stu Neville was the only other player to finish in double-digits with 13 points.
The Royals welcome St. John's to Arden Hills, Minn. Wednesday evening as the game has monumental playoff spots on the line. The Johnnies are in fifth place with a MIAC record of 9-6, while Bethel currently stands as the first team out of the playoff picture with a 7-8 conference record.
