ARDEN HILLS, Minn.—Bethel University's four-game winning streak against St. Olaf College came to an end Wednesday night, as the Oles (12-8, 10-5 MIAC) handed the Royals (13-6, 8-6 MIAC) a 71-65 setback in the Robertson Center Gym. BU's rare home loss—the fourth in the last two years—was a result of cold shooting from outside the arc (1-of-18) and St. Olaf's 90 percent (27-of-30) effort from the free throw line.
 
The six-point loss barely describes the story of what transpired throughout the entire 40 minutes of play. After trailing 27-35 at the half, Bethel narrowed the margin to two points with 16:48 left in the game. St. Olaf responded, however, and pushed their advantage to 14 with 7:37 remaining. Strong defense and rebounding allowed the Royals to claw away, though, and Derek Magnuson's second 3-pointer—both shot and made—of the season brought the score to 65-66 with 30 ticks on the clock. An untimely turnover and missed 3-pointer down the stretch gave the Oles five free throws and ultimately the six-point triumph.
 
Bethel dominated ever category. The Royals outscored the Oles 21-9 in second chance points, 48-18 in points scored in the paint, 18-10 in bench points, and 16-13 in points scored off of turnovers. But the key difference was BU's shooting percentage of 39.7, opposed to St. Olaf, who finished 20-of-41 (48.8%).
 
Magnuson was sensational throughout the entire game, as the redshirt freshman recorded 18 points and 12 rebounds in 32 minutes played. The double-double is Magnuson's fourth of the season.
 
Joining him in double figures was Bridgeport Tusler and Tim Hanson. Tusler was 6-of-10 from the floor for 16 points, alongside five steals, three rebounds, and three assists. Hanson added 10 points and five boards off the bench.
 
Justin Pahl scored a game-high 25 points for the Oles, including a 16-of-16 effort from the charity stripe. Ben Figini posted 16 points and five rebounds.
 
Bethel will go on a three-game road stretch over the next week, where they'll face Macalester, Augsburg, and Saint Mary's. The Royals, now 13-6 overall and 8-6 against MIAC opponents, need a series of wins to maintain their playoff positioning down the stretch. The road stretch starts with Saturday's matinee that's scheduled for 1 p.m. at Macalester