Box Score

Moorhead, Minn.—After winning their last two consecutive contests, Bethel's men's basketball team was cooled off by Concordia College Wednesday evening in Memorial Auditorium, falling on the road 51-61. The Royals (11-7, 7-6 MIAC) topped the Cobbers (9-9, 5-5 MIAC) earlier this season, but playing in Moorhead proved to be, once again, a challenge for BU.
 
The two squads played fairly evenly throughout the opening half, as there were four ties in the first 20 minutes. The Cobbers took a seven-point lead into the locker room at the intermission break, however, after an 8-0 run late in the opening frame. Christian Skinner hit a bucket in the paint with 7:51 left in the second half to cap a 6-0 run and put the Royals down by just a pair of 3-pointers, but that was the smallest margin Bethel could reach the rest of the way.
 
BU shot 44.0 percent (11-of-25) from the floor in the first half, followed by 37.0 percent (10-of-27) shooting in the second. What contributed to the Royals' demise was 2-of-12 (16.7 percent) shooting from downtown in the second half and only four shots at the free throw line all game.
 
Luke Buttenhoff was the only Bethel player in double figures, scoring 10 points and grabbing four rebounds. Senior Quinn Gorski added five and five, while Brycen Wojta had nine points and four boards. The Royals had just ten turnovers, but only three steals and seven points off turnovers—a low number for the defensive-oriented squad.
 
BU outscored the Cobbers inside 20-18 and off the bench 20-13. Additionally, the Royals outrebounded Concordia 32-28, but the Cobbers cashed in on 47.9 percent (23-of-48) of its shots taken from the floor, including 41.7 percent (10-of-24) from long range.
 
The Royals return home Saturday to take on Saint John's University in the Robertson Center Gym. The matchup against the Johnnies could have major playoff implications on the line, as SJU is a half-game ahead of Bethel in the MIAC standings. BU lost the previous matchup in Collegeville 55-69. Tipoff for this weekend's matinee is scheduled for 3 p.m.