Game Summary

WINONA, Minn. — Bethel came into Monday's Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference game against the Saint Mary's University men's basketball team boasting a gaudy 86.6 points-per-game scoring average.

They didn't come close to that against SMU, as the Cardinals held the high-flying Royals 15 points under their season average..

Unfortunately for the Cardinals, the Royals' 71 points were more than enough, as Bethel, fueled by a 35-24 first-half scoring advantage, handed SMU its fifth straight loss, 71-59, at the SMU Gym.

The Cardinals matched the Royals shot-for-shot through the game's opening 10 minutes, but the Royals' hands got hot, and the Cardinals' stayed lukewarm, as Bethel outscored SMU 19-8 in the final 10 minutes of the first half to take an 11-point, 35-24, advantage into the locker room.

The Royals quickly pushed their lead to 20, 44-24, with a 9-0 run to open the second half, and SMU could get not closer than 11 the rest of the way.

Eric Lear (Antoich, Ill.) scored a season-high 15 points to lead the Cardinals — who shot just 40 percent from the field (23-for-57) and made just 6 of 21 3-point attempts. Michael Batterman (Fond du Lac, Wis.) also scored in double figures for SMU (2-7 MIAC, 3-10 overall), netting 10 points, while Charles Meadowcroft led for Royal players in double figures with 15 points.