ARDEN HILLS, Minn. — Despite a 23-point night from
Nick Burke and a 20-point performance from
Caden Boettcher, the Bethel University men's basketball team fell to Augsburg Wednesday night 97-82.
The Royals went 27-for-54 (50 percent) from the field and 10-for-26 from three in the loss.
Payton Thomsen shot 6-for-11 from the field putting up 15 points on the night.
Adam Mattes dropped 10 points, going 4-for-9 from the field.
The Auggies jumped out to a 14-5 lead five minutes into the first half. Thomsen knocked down a pair of threes from deep to cut the deficit to five.
Burke knocked down a corner three to keep the Royals within 10 with seven minutes to play in the first half. A Thomsen steal turned into a fastbreak layup for
Blake Schmitz then made it a 43-33 game before the Auggies took a 48-33 lead into the half.
Thomsen hit from deep once again to make it a 52-38 two minutes into the second half.
Augsburg's biggest least of the game came at 69-44 with 13:16 left after going on a 10-2 run.
With 1:34 to play Burke went up for a layup drawing the foul with a technical foul being called on the Auggies. Burke made all three attempts from the charity stripe to get the Royals back within 10, 88-78.
The Royals were limited to a three from Mattes in the final 90 seconds as the Auggies closed it out at the charity stripe.
UP NEXT
The Royals look to end their three-game losing streak Saturday Feb.1 when they head down to Winona to take on Saint Mary's University. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m.
