NORTHFIELD, Minn.—Momentum within the Bethel University men's basketball program was already high after defeating Carleton in the MIAC quarterfinal game on Wednesday evening, but it went through the roof Friday night when the Royals (21-6, 14-6 MIAC) knocked off No. 2 St. Olaf on the road by a final score of 79-57.

BU then learned after the game that No. 4 Augsburg upset No. 1 Saint John's in Collegeville, which means that Bethel will host the conference title game for the second straight season and play in the championship tilt for the third time in the last four years.
 
The first half was a back and forth battle with neither team able to pull away. The game went into intermission with the score knotted at 33. A quick 5-0 run by the Royals to start the second half forced an early Ole time out. Despite the break in play, BU was able to stretch its lead to 13 over the next eight minutes. They capped off this 14-4 run with a Matt Ambriz 3-pointer that brought the Royal faithful to their feet. BU then ended the game on a 23-12 run with their largest lead of 23 points coming at the 4:19 mark. 
 
Sophomore guard Jack Jenson didn't shy away from the playoff pressure as he put up 17 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Matt Ambriz followed suit by pouring in 15 points on 5-8 from down town. Four of these threes came in the second half, helping keep the Oles out of reach. Despite the rowdy home crowd and significant soreness, senior Bridgeport Tusler showed his playoff experience with 11 points and six assists. Derek Magnuson went 7-of-11 for 14 points and eight rebounds. Granger Kingland and Riley Dearring each added eight points as the two combined to shoot 3-of-6 from deep. Kingland also pulled down eight boards. 
 
It was the lights out shooting and strong defense in the second half that helped the Royals leave the Skoglund Center with the W. BU shot 58.6 percent from the floor and 60.0 percent from three in the second frame, while limiting St. Olaf to 28.6 percent overall and 14.3 percent from beyond the arc. Bethel also out-rebounded St. Olaf 37-24 and held a 9-4 advantage in second-chance scoring. 
 
The Royals will meet the Auggies at 2 p.m. in the Robertson Center on Sunday, Feb. 25. Tickets sales will begin at 12:30 p.m., which is the same time doors will open. There will be a live stream of the game also being featured in an overflow room. Fans are encouraged to show up early, as tickets are being sold on a first-come, first-serve basis until they are gone.

More information regarding ticket sales, parking, and event management will be announced at BethelRoyals.com on Saturday, February 24.