Duluth, Minn. – The Saint Scholastica Men's basketball team hosted the Royals of Bethel University in tonight's doubleheader. The first game, featuring the Women's basketball team, ended with a final score of 34- 74, with the Royals striding to victory.
How it Happened
First Half
The Royals started the scoring tonight, netting a layup, that was answered quickly by two three-pointers from the Saints. Both teams then went on to score two layups.
Saint, Andre Crocket Jr. was on the free throw line, and skillfully sank both, bringing the Saints lead to six.
Both teams continued to produce on offense, successfully scoring 12 points each, bringing the score of the game to 24-21.
Bethel then scored a layup, cutting the Saints' lead to just one point. Not long after, Bethel captured the lead, securing a three-point shot. They did not hold the lead for long, as Crocket Jr. scored another three-pointer for the Saints. Jacquez Overstreet (Appleton, Wis./Oshkosh West (Marian University)) scored another three-point shot just after, further extending the Saints' lead.
Four minutes remained in the first half, this gave Bethel enough time to even the game back up, they started with a layup. The Saints called timeout after this layup.
The Saints were on fire from three-point range, and as time began to wind down, Tanner Thomson (Woodbury, Minn./Stillwater High School) scored another three for the Saints.
Bethel scored another layup, but the Saints scored two. With another minute remaining in the first half, Overstreet had an open lane and met the rim for a powerful dunk. His dunk was followed by a layup from the Saints, allowing the Saints to go into the half with a seven-point lead.
Second Half
Both teams started the second half strong, the Royals, a little stronger, scoring five points to start things off compared to the Saints two.
The Saints got back into it, scoring a three-pointer and a layup shortly after the opening run, which was soon followed by a Bethel layup.
The game went into a scoring drought for about a minute, that was broken by a three-pointer from Overstreet. Bethel was on the free throw line following a foul right after the Saints' three-pointer, they sank both of their free throws. Immediately following their initial trip to the line, the Saints committed a second foul, allowing the Royals to get another two points.
Both teams then exchanged another set of jump shots, scoring a combined six points, the Saints came out on top, scoring four of the six. This proceeded to another drought, which lasted just under a minute and a half.
Bethel broke the silence, scoring a three-pointer. It took the Saints just under a minute to respond, scoring a layup.
The Saints and Royals traded three-pointers again, with both teams getting three points out of it. Bethel was awarded two free throws following this exchange but only managed to make of of their two shots.
The Saints suffered the Same misfortune, making it to the line and only scoring one point, though the Saints were up by four. This happened again not long after, while only making fifty percent of their free throws on those two trips, the Saints managed to extend their lead to five.
Following the free throws, both teams once again traded points, and again, the Saints came out with more than the Royals, scoring seven points, two layups, and a three-pointer, against the Royals who scored two layups.
The Saints, now confident began to build on their eight-point lead, scoring another two-point jump shot. Bethel tried to dig back out with a layup, but the Saints were quick to shut that down with a two-point jump shot.
Bethel scored a three-point shot before calling a time-out with under five minutes left to play. Coming out of the timeout, both the Saints and the Royals scored two layups, keeping the Saints ahead by nine.
Nearing the end of the game, the Royals began intentionally fouling, getting the Saints to the free-throw line, Crocket Jr. sank both free throws on his attempt.
Aaron Keykal (Princeton, Minn./Princeton HS) made two layups, allowing the Saints to pull away, now up by 17.
As time wound down in the game, the Royals tried to close the gap, but the Saints were too far gone. As the Royals sank a three-point shot before the buzzer, the Saints walked off the court with a 10-point victory. \
What's Next
The Saints (9-15, 5-10 MIAC) will take to the road on Saturday, February 22, headed to Minneapolis, Minn. to play the Auggies (11-13, 7-8 MIAC) of Augsburg University in the final game of the regular season, tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m.
