MINNEAPOLIS – Trailing by as many as 23 points in the second half, the Bethel University men's basketball team pulled within eight late before falling to Augsburg University, 84-73, at Si Melby Hall Wednesday evening.
 
Junior guard Tommy Jensen helped fuel the comeback efforts in the second half where 13 of his career-high 21 points came. Sophomore forward Zach Doely added 16 points while junior guard Sam Nelson saw all 10 of his points come in the second. Doely finished a rebound shy of the double-double with nine.
 
Augsburg nearly shot lights out in the first at 56.8 percent, but credit to the Royals who shot almost as good going 48.1 percent from the floor. The Royals were right there with the Auggies a majority of the first as Augsburg's lead didn't reach larger than six until the 9:43 mark.
 
The Royals offense in the first was limited to Doely's 14 points and eight from Jensen while Augsburg took a 53-34 lead into the locker room.
 
A driving layup from Nelson capped off Bethel's seven-point run, its best of the half, getting it to 63-47 with 12:30 remaining. The Royals clawed away at the deficit dwindling it down to single digits with a layup from Jaren Tschetter.
 
With 2:32 left in the game, a three ball from Dom Aguilar got the Royals within eight. From there Bethel went without a field goal the rest of the way scoring its final three points from the charity stripe.
 
Bethel falls to 2-2 on the year and 0-2 in MIAC play. They return to the hardwood Saturday traveling to fifth-ranked and undefeated Wisconsin-Platteville for a 3 p.m. tipoff.