Men's Basketball 1/5/04 -- Bethel 77, Augsburg 62

BOXSCORE

ARDEN HILLS, Minn. (1/5/04) -- Tim Gilbert led all scorers with 28 points, going 9-of-21 from the field, while teammate Travis Jones had 22 points, leading Bethel College to a 77-62 victory over visiting Augsburg College in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference men's basketball game Monday night at the Robertson Center.

Gilbert had 18 points in the first half, as Bethel claimed a five-point lead at the break (43-38) and pulled away in the second half to improve to 9-2 overall, 4-2 in MIAC play. Augsburg lost its third game in a row to fall to 5-6 overall, 2-4 in MIAC play.

The game was tied five times in the first half, before Hamline went on a 6-0 run over the final 1:56, on three-pointers from Gilbert and Tyson Bjorklund. Gilbert hit 4-of-8 from three-point range, as the Royals connected on 11-of-23 (47.8 percent) from beyond the arc in the game.

Bethel expanded its lead to 10 points over the first seven minutes of the second half, but Augsburg cut the advantage to three poins, 58-55, with 8:48 remaining, on an 11-4 run, fueled by five points from Larry Burgess (Sr., Eden Prairie, Minn.) and four points from Grant Hemmingsen (So., New Brighton, Minn./Mounds View HS).

But Bethel pulled away again, using a 17-3 run to take its largest lead of the game, 75-58 with 1:12 left. Jones had had six points in the run, while Gilbert six points, all from the free-throw line.

Bethel converted on 16-of-26 from the free-throw line, taking advantage of 23 Augsburg fouls, including two technical fouls late in the game. Augsburg had just 13 free throws in the game, hitting nine. Bethel hit 43.9 percent from the field (25-of-57), compared to 38.3 percent (23-of-60) for Augsburg. Augsburg made only 7-of-24 from beyond the arc (29.2 percent).

Both teams return to MIAC play on Wednesday (1/7) at 7:30 p.m., with Augsburg hosting Hamline and Bethel playing at St. Olaf.