NORTHFIELD, Minn.—The Bethel University men's basketball team had a banner day Saturday afternoon, as the Royals knocked off No. 19-ranked St. Olaf on the road 95-89. The win over the Oles, who are now 8-3 in the MIAC and 13-3 overall, was the second this season and both times St. Olaf was ranked among the nation's Top 25 teams.
 
BU had four players score 17 or more points in the six-point victory. Among them was Bridgeport Tusler, who went 8-of-13 from the floor and 2-of-2 from deep, to finish with 23 points. He was a big reason behind Bethel's 56.6 percent shooting performance from the field and 52.9 percent effort from downtown.
 
Brycen Wojta led the team with 24 points after shooting 7-of-12 from the floor and 8-of-9 from the free throw line. Wojta was 8-of-8 at the charity stripe in the final 1:35, which was critical for the Royals as they led 85-71 with 95 seconds to go. The Oles were able to convert on several deep 3-point attempts, which cut the lead closer than it looked at the end, but Wojta, Kyle von Schmidt-Pauli, and Trevor Hall were all perfect down the stretch at the foul line and preserved the clutch road win.
 
Not only did the Royals shoot over 50 percent from inside and outside the 3-point line, but BU also finished the game 76.5 percent from the foul line. That was just the third time this season Bethel has shot over 70 percent from the charity stripe. Not only were they successful when shooting today, but they were also effective when defending the shot as well. St. Olaf was limited to 43.4 percent shooting from the floor and 38.9 percent shooting from deep.
 
Bethel was outrebounded 33-41, but that didn't stop BU from outscoring the Oles 36-26 in the paint. Additionally, it didn't stop Kyle Zimmermann from scoring 18 points and grabbing three rebounds against a team that's average starting player is 6-4. In addition to Zimmermann, Tusler, and Wojta, Kyle von Schmidt-Pauli had an incredible day—scoring 17 points on 5-of-7 shooting and 4-of-5 from downtown.
 
The Royals now get a week to rest before they return home next Saturday to face Saint Mary's University. Their 3 p.m. matchup against the Cardinals is being referred to as Alumni Day and all former men's basketball players are invited back to the Robertson Gym for a day of celebration.