ARDEN HILLS, Minn. — The Bethel University men's basketball team couldn't overcome a seven-point halftime deficit as the Royals fell to the St. Scholastica Wednesday night 76-66.
 
The Royals record is now 11-6 overall and 5-3 in MIAC play on the year.
 
Payton Thomsen dropped 20 points in the loss going 7-for-15 from the field, Nick Burke, Adam Mattes and Caden Boettcher each put up 10 points for the Royals, with Boettcher grabbing 10 boards for a double-double.
 
A 16-0 run over a nearly seven-minute stretch put the Saints ahead 21-7 with 9:20 to play in the first half. A three from Burke followed by a Mattes fastbreak layup ended the run and brought the Royals back to within nine.
 
Thomsen drove the lane and finished for a layup to bring Bethel within four, before the Saints took a 32-25 lead into the half.
 
Boettcher got the Royals on the board in the second half, driving the lane and finishing with his second slam of the game making it 34-27.  \ Thomsen drew a foul and made both attempts from the charity stripe to make it a five-point game with 13:37 to play.
 
St. Scholastica used a 10-2 run to open up a 61-48 advantage. JT Schradle hit from beyond the arc to bring the Royals back to within 10, 61-51.
 
Bethel's defense forced the Saints to go without a field goal in the final five minutes, but St. Scholastica got it done at the charity stripe in that stretch, going 8-of-10.
 
UP NEXT
The Royals look to get back in the win column Wednesday Jan. 29 against Augsburg. Tip-off is set for 7:30 in the Robertson Center Gym.
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