ARDEN HILLS, Minn.—The MIAC basketball schedule has proven to be a test for conference opponents year-after-year and tonight the Bethel University men's basketball team experienced the heartache of intense turnaround time combined with quality opponents, which resulted in a 51-69 loss at home to Carleton College.
 
The Royals (14-6, 10-5 MIAC), who played their fourth game in eight days, trailed the Knights (11-8, 8-6 MIAC) 13-16 at the half, and although both teams showed significant improvement in the second frame, it was Carleton that exhibited the endurance to outlast Bethel down the stretch.
 
 
The Knights took their three-point lead at the intermission break to 19 with 10:35 remaining in the game, but the Royals never caved. Still trailing by 20 with 8:02 left, BU managed to whittle the lead down to 11 with 3:50 remaining, but a turnover and two missed layups on the next three possessions killed Bethel's momentum to make it back-to-back comebacks against Carleton. 
 
BU and the Knights each put up 51 shots throughout the midweek affair, but the Royals managed to go just 16-of-51 (31.4 percent), while Carleton went 24-of-51 (47.1 percent). Bethel was 6-of-22 from outside the arc, compared to the Knights, who cashed in on 6-of-14 from long range. Moreover, Carleton was 15-of-16 from the foul stripe.
 
Trevor Hall led the Royals with 13 points, seven rebounds, three steals, and two assists in 37 minutes played, while Granger Kingland posted 12 points and five boards, and Derek Magnuson added 10 points and seven rebounds.
 
Carleton had four players score in double figures, including Mitchell Biewen and Beau Smit, who each recorded a game-high 15 points.
 
Bethel will attempt to avenge its current two-game skid Saturday, when they host Saint John's University in a huge conference showdown. The Royals and Johnnies will tip at 3 p.m., following the women's game against Saint Benedict, which is scheduled for 1 p.m.