MINNEAPOLIS -- The Bethel University men's basketball team jumped out to an 11-3 lead in the game's early minutes, and a 16-0 run late in the first half gave the Royals the lead for good, en route to a 78-67 win over host Augsburg University in Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference action on Wednesday evening. 

THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Bethel 78, Augsburg 67
LOCATION: Si Melby Hall, Minneapolis 
RECORDS: Augsburg 11-3 overall (6-3 MIAC), Bethel 10-3 overall (5-3 MIAC)

HOW IT HAPPENED
• Augsburg held its final lead of the game at 21-18 with 8:03 left in the first half. From that point, Bethel scored the next 16 straight points to take a commanding 34-21 advantage with 2:47 remaining in the half. The Auggies cut the lead to two points early in the second half, but a 10-2 run gave the Royals a 10-point lead, and their advantage did not dip below five points the rest of the way.
• Augsburg was limited to 38.7 percent (12-of-31) shooting from the field in the first half and a 40.7-percent (24-of-59) effort from the field in the game. Meanwhile, Bethel hit 53.7 percent (29-of-54) from the field, including 62.5-percent (15-of-24) in the second half, enabling the Royals to snap Augsburg's five-game winning streak.
• Booker Coplin (SO, Shakopee, Minn./Shakopee HS) claimed his second double-double in an Augsburg uniform, producing team-bests in both points (22) and rebounds (10).
• Collin Olmscheid (SR, Buffalo, Minn.) scored 20 points with five rebounds -- his fourth straight 20-plus-point scoring effort and seventh of the season.
• Harry Sonie (SR, Burnsville, Minn./Apple Valley HS) scored 14 points with three assists, Nick Sabatke (SR, Eagan, Minn./Eagan HS) scored seven points and Kevin McKiernan (JR, Savage, Minn./Prior Lake HS) had six assists with five rebounds.
• Bethel out-rebounded Augsburg by a 34-29 margin, and the Royals' bench outscored the Auggies' bench by a 19-2 margin.
• Augsburg connected on 13-of-14 (92.9 percent) from the free-throw line -- its seventh game shooting 80 percent or better from the charity stripe.

FOR THE FOES
• Matt Ambriz led the way for Bethel, scoring 24 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field, including 5-of-7 from three-point range.
• Riley Dearring scored 13 points, Jack Jenson had 12 points, eight rebounds and four assists, and Bridgeport Tusler scored 10 points with seven rebounds and six assists.

UP NEXT
• Augsburg returns to MIAC action on Saturday (1/13) at 1 p.m., hosting league-leader Saint John's at Si Melby Hall.
• Bethel hosts Gustavus on Saturday at 1 p.m.