Game Summary vs. Bethel / GameDay Online

ARDEN HILLS, Minn. — After hitting just 2 of 13 3-pointers in their Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference-opening win against Macalester, the Saint Mary's University men's basketball team came out guns a blazing against Bethel Saturday afternoon, as Will Wright (Chicago, Ill.) and Josh Knights (Plainfield, Wis.) nailed treys in the games opening minutes.

In fact, SMU knocked down three of their seven 3-point attempts in the opening 20 minutes.

It was the other field goals the Cardinals struggled with.

SMU made just seven field goals in the first half, and Bethel took advantage, racing out to a 42-28 halftime advantage and holding on for a 78-62 conference win.

The Cardinals stayed right with the high-scoring Royals through much of the first half, but a late, 16-4 run turned a two-point, 26-24, Bethel lead into a 42-28 halftime mount SMU had to climb.

And it proved to be just too steep a climb for the Cardinals, who cut the lead to seven on a pair of occasions, but could get no closer in falling to 1-1 in the MIAC and 2-4 overall.

Josh Knights scored a career-high 23 points for the Cardinals, while Will Wright (Chicago, Ill.) chipped in 14. Lukas Holland (La Crosse, Wis.), who had scored in double figure in each of SMU's first five games, was held to just eight points vs. the Royals.

The Cardinals return to conference play on Monday, playing host to Gustavus in a 7:30 p.m. contest at the SMU Gym.