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Bethel’s Kellan Dahlquist rebounded a missed 3-pointer and banked in the game-winning shot at the buzzer to spark the Royals (7-7 overall, 3-6 MIAC) to a 69-68 upset over St. Thomas (10-4, 7-2) Monday night in Schoenecker Arena.
The win ends Bethel’s four-game losing streak and left St. Thomas players dejected after the game.
“It was just a little detail, boxing out, something that you take for granted a lot in the game,” junior guard Noah Kaiser said. “On the last play (not boxing out) can show up and really come to bite you in the butt. I think guys got caught looking at the ball, wondering if the first shot was going in and didn’t worry about getting their guy.”
A fundamental breakdown in the last seconds may have cost St. Thomas at the end, but the team struggled to get things going all game.
Bethel standout Taylor Hall’s seven points helped Bethel maintain a lead over St. Thomas for much of the first half, but the Tommies were able to rally back with less than six minutes to go.
Needing a spark, St. Thomas put the ball in shooter Will DeBerg’s hands, and he delivered. DeBerg hit two 3-pointers in a row with three minutes left to give the Tommies a five-point lead, and he also capitalized on all eight of his free throw attempts.
“Will’s been very good, very consistent,” coach John Tauer said. “He stepped in to start with Peter (Leslie) hurt and provided a spark for us. We’re going to need that the rest of the way.”
DeBerg finished the first half with 14 points, and St. Thomas took a 33-26 lead into halftime, despite shooting just 29 percent from the field.
“We came out a little lackadaisical,” Kaiser said. “We took it for granted knowing that we’re No. 1 in the conference and that their record might not have been as good.”
Dahlquist comes up big in second half
The struggles continued for St. Thomas in the second half, this time from the free throw line. Bethel started the half playing aggressive defense but fouled the Tommies early and often. With 11 minutes left in the game, St. Thomas was already in the bonus but could not take advantage of its free chances.
“If we make our free throws the game’s probably ours,” Tauer said about the team’s 9-16 second half free throw performance.
Though St. Thomas struggled from the foul line, DeBerg’s free throw with 47 seconds left gave the team a 68-67 lead. DeBerg’s second attempt clanked off the rim, but the Tommies seemed to catch a break when the ball landed right into teammate Kaiser’s hands.
The Tommies looked to set the offense back up as time ticked away, but a turnover under the basket with 18 seconds remaining gave the Royals a chance to win.
“We couldn’t ever put them away,” freshman Conner Nord said. “We’d go up seven, get a great run and then let a couple of stupid plays, like me missing a box out…let them come back into it.”
Bethel senior Daniel Baah, who’s confidence was high after scoring five points in the game’s final minute, tried to win the game for the Royals with four seconds left, but his 3-point shot missed long. That’s when Dahlquist went to work, grabbing the board and banking in the winner as time expired.
“They’ve got a lot of weapons,” Tauer said. “They’ve been hurt a lot this year, and they’re getting back to full strength. We knew coming in that they’re a dangerous team, but we certainly didn’t play the way we needed to on either end.”
DeBerg finished with a game-high 22 points, and Nord added eight points and eight rebounds. The Tommies shot just 39 percent in the game and were unable to stop Bethel from the 3-point line.
The Royals sank 6-of-9 3 pointers in the second half, and Hall led the team with 18 points.
Five teams are now within one game in the MIAC race. St. Thomas, Augsburg and Gustavus are tied at 7-3, and St. Olaf and Hamline are next at 6-3.
St. Thomas faces St. Olaf Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. on the road.
“It’ll be interesting going to St. Olaf, they’re a very good team,” Tauer said. “This will certainly be a gut check. We have to bounce back and play better than we did tonight.”
Ryan Shaver can be reached at shav7005@stthomas.edu