ARDEN HILLS, Minn. – Despite having all five starters reach double figures, the Bethel University men's basketball team dropped a 79-72 decision to St. Olaf Saturday afternoon inside the Robertson Center.
 
St. Olaf topped the Royals behind its best 3-point shooting performance of the year at 52.2 percent. Bethel was 31.6 percent from behind the arc. Bethel finished 47.5 percent from the field compared to the Oles 48.3 percent.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half
• The Royals raced out to an 11-4 lead through the opening five minutes of the first.
•  Over the next five minutes The Royals were held to just a pair of makes as the Oles garnered a 17-15 lead with 10 minutes to go.
•  From that point there would be three ties and no team held a lead greater than five points.
• Both teams shot 53.6 percent from the field in the opening half with the difference being behind the arc. Bethel was 3-of-10 while the Oles were 5-of-9.
 
Second Half
• The Oles picked up steam behind the arc knocking down four of their seven second-half threes in the first six and half minutes of the second. A 17-2 run by St. Olaf gave them a 60-51 lead with 13:26 to go, its largest advantage of the game.
• BU recovered with an 11-2 run of its own tying it at 62 each. The Oles went back up four before a quick 6-0 run for BU put them back up 69-66 with 5:36 left.
• St. Olaf's Addison Metcalf would hit two more threes giving the Oles the lead for good as BU went on a scoring drought of five minutes late in the game.
 
KEY PERFORMERS
• Zach Deoly led the balanced scoring attack with 16 points and 15 rebounds for his eight double-double of the season.
• Payton Thomsen finished 14 points while Adam Mattes chipped in 12 points.
• Joey Kidder and Nick Burke each had 11 points while Kidder added eight rebounds.
 
UP NEXT
Bethel hits the road on Monday, Jan. 15 traveling to Carleton for a 7 p.m. tip off.

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