ARDEN HILLS, Minn. – A complete team effort that saw four starters in double figures paced the Bethel University men's basketball team to a 85-67 defeat of Hamline Wednesday evening inside the Robertson Center.
 
It started behind the arc where Bethel (9-12, 7-9 MIAC) finished a season-best 59.1 percent while finishing 52.5 percent from the floor. A big effort on the defensive end forced Hamline (11-9, 7-8 MIAC) into 14 turnovers and a 43.9 percent mark from the field.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half
• The Royals led wire-to-wire jumping out to a 14-7 lead five minutes in with a three from Avery Mast.
• A three-minute scoring drought by BU allowed the Pipers to get within one until Joey Kidder hit a turnaround three from the corner.   
• The lead stayed single digits until Mast capped out an 11-point half with a three making it 38-26 with two minutes to go.
• Five threes on top of 54.5 percent shooting gave BU a 43-26 lead at the break.
 
Second Half
• After trading buckets early, Bethel stayed in its rhythm with back-to-back threes from Tommy Jensen and Mast.
 • Hamline did go on an 8-0 run getting back within 13, but much like the first half it was Kidder from down town putting the Royals back on track.
• A bucket from Sam Zilmer with 3:01 left gave the Royals their largest margin of the night at 85-61.
• In the second half, BU was 8-of-12 from behind the arc with five different players knocking down a trey.
 
KEY PERFORMERS
• Zach Doely finished with a team-high 17 points to go along with seven rebounds and three assists.
• Payton Thomsen finished with 16 points on 6-of-12 shooting while Avery Mast had 14 points with three treys.
•  Joey Kidder's even stat line read 13 points, five rebounds and six assists.
• Tommy Jensen scored all 12 of his points in the second half going 4-of-5 behind the arc.
 
UP NEXT
The Royals take their three-game winning streak on the road to MIAC-leading Carleton Saturday at 1 p.m.



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