ARDEN HILLS, Minn. – Not much stood in the way of junior guard Hudson Urbanus as his career-high 20 points aided the Bethel University men's basketball team to a 78-70 non-conference victory over Wartburg Sunday afternoon inside the Robertson Center.

With four players in double figures to go along with 39.4 percent shooting from 3-point range the Royals improve to 6-4 overall. Closing out the non-conference portion of their schedule, Bethel returns to MIAC play Wednesday, Jan 2 as they host St. Olaf College. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.

Junior guard Granger Kingland and senior center Derek Magnuson both chipped in double-doubles as Kingland added 13 points and a season-high 13 rebounds while Magnuson poured in 12 points and 11 rebounds. Senior guard Matt Ambriz added 14 points respectively.  

The Royals sharpened up after Wartburg opened the game on an 8-0 run in the first three minutes. Bethel responded with a 13-4 run of its own over the next three and a half minutes as Urbanus knocked down a 3-pointer at the 13:28 mark to give the Royals their first lead of the day. Urbanus continued his hot shooting making the next five points to help Bethel take a 32-29 lead into the break.

Wartburg continued to throw everything it had at Bethel in the opening minutes of the second half before Kingland knocked down Bethel's third straight 3-pointer to open up the lead to double digits at 48-38 with 14:17 left.  

As a nationally ranked top-10 team in getting to the free throw line, Wartburg did exactly that to pull within 69-65 following a pair of free throws from Jaran Sabus at the 2:50 mark. The Knights went on to shoot 83.3 percent (20-24) from the charity stripe.

Bethel put the nail in the coffin with 1:41 left as Jack Jenson grabbed one of Bethel's 10 offensive boards before feeding Ambriz for a 3-pointer to make it 74-65. The Royals did the rest of their work from the charity strip to hold on for a 78-70 victory.

Sabus poured in a game-high 29 points for the Knights while Cam Kickbush chipped in 11 points respectively.