Box Score

ST. PETER, Minn.—A poor shooting night and an early deficit made it hard for Bethel on the road against Gustavus Wednesday night, as the Royals fell to the Gusties on Gus Young Court 69-42. Bethel (3-14, 2-12 MIAC) allowed Gustavus (21-5, 11-3 MIAC) to jump out to a 19-4 lead to begin the game, making the final 30 minutes of the contest an uphill climb.
 
Despite narrowing the gap to nine points with 14:51 remaining in the second half, the Royals were never able to get any closer, yet the Gusties extended their lead in the final minutes of the game—finishing with a 32-12 scoring run over a ten-minute segment.
 
In addition to the Gusties' scoring parade, Bethel also struggled from the floor—finishing the game with a shooting percentage of 22.6 percent. The Royals could not find the bottom of the net in the opening half, as BU connected on just 4-of-27 shot opportunities in the opening 20 minutes.

"Gustavus is a very talented team with long athletes and a lot of quickness," noted head coach Jon Herbrechtsmeyer after Saturday's defeat. "Their length and athleticism gave us a lot of trouble tonight particularly in the paint and on the boards. Those struggles combined with poor shooting in the first half created too big of a deficit to overcome."
 
Sydney Schultz (Fr., Dalton, Minn.) led BU in St. Peter Wednesday, completing 4-of-12 shots for 12 points and four rebounds. Rachel Parupsky (Fr., Arden Hills, Minn.) tallied eight points and seven boards, while Katelyn Vavra (Jr., Askov, Minn.) bucketed three 3-pointers for nine points.
 
Abby Rothenbuehler was too much for Bethel Wednesday, scoring 26 points and rebounding 15 shots in 25 minutes of play. Rothenbuehler and the Gusties took advantage of a 45-34 rebound margin in their favor, which led to a 40-8 scoring advantage in the paint.
 
The Royals will welcome Carleton College to the Robertson Center Gym Saturday for a 1 p.m. tipoff against the MIAC opponent. Bethel lost to the Knights by three points in Northfield early in the 2012-13 season, so Saturday's matinee is expected to be a thriller. Live stats and webcast will both be available here.