NORTHFIELD, Minn. — The Bethel University men's basketball team couldn't overcome a 17-point halftime deficit as they fell to the Carleton College Knights 77-62 on Wednesday night.
Payton Thomsen put up 22 points, going 8-for-18 from the field in the loss.
Blake Schmitz dropped 10 points and grabbed six boards, while
Caden Boettcher put up eight points and seven rebounds.
A
Blake Schmitz steal turned into a
Nick Burke three pointer to open the game and give the Royals their only lead of the night a 3-0.
Adam Mattes hit a jumper from the paint to get the Royals within six at the midway point of the first half. Down 22-13,
AJ Kaul knocked down a three to get the Royals back to within six again this time with 8:01 to play in the first half.
The Knights used a 21-10 run over the final seven minutes to take a 43-26 lead into halftime.
Schmitz hit from beyond the arc to make it a 48-31 game three minutes into the second half.
A steal by
Adam Mattes turned into a three from Thomsen where he scored nine of BU's next 11 cutting the Knights' lead to 58-44 with under 13 minutes to play. drove the lane for a layup making it a 60-46 Knights lead.
The scoring would be near even the rest of the way but with the margin to big for the Royals to overcome.
Up next:
The Royals look to end their five-game losing streak at home Saturday when they take on the Gustavus Adolphus in the Robertson Center Gym. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m.
