ARDEN HILLS, Minn. — The Saint Mary's men's basketball team (1-13, 0-5) came within inches of a road upset Wednesday night, but a late Bethel (5-8, 2-2) surge sent the Cardinals home with an 85–83 loss in a hard-fought conference battle at Robertson Center.
Saint Mary's controlled the tempo for much of the night, carrying a nine-point advantage into halftime, only to see Bethel rally in the second half. The Royals outscored the Cardinals 54–43 after the break and leaned heavily on their free-throw shooting, converting 20 of 24 attempts, to swing the outcome.
The Cardinals wasted no time asserting themselves early. John Palmer knocked down a three-pointer just 47 seconds into the game, setting the tone for a sharp offensive first half. Palmer stayed hot throughout, turning in a career-best performance while leading Saint Mary's with 22 points.
Crisp ball movement fueled the Cardinals' attack, resulting in nine first-half assists. A key defensive moment came midway through the half when Josh Wohlers jumped a passing lane for a steal, leading to a Sawyer Markham triple that kept momentum firmly on Saint Mary's side.
Saint Mary's shot an efficient 16-for-28 from the field in the first half, including five three-pointers, while also owning the glass with a 19–15 rebounding edge. By the break, the Cardinals had built a 40–31 lead.
That cushion briefly grew in the second half. Reid Klug's layup at 17:51 pushed the lead to 46–37, and Palmer struck again from beyond the arc at 10:45 to make it 62–53.
Bethel refused to fade, chipping away with a steady stream of trips to the free-throw line. The Royals eventually pulled ahead, taking an 81–74 lead following free throws.
Saint Mary's made one final push, trimming the deficit to two on Khai Branham's layup with 41 seconds remaining, but the comeback attempt came up just short as Bethel closed out the 85–83 victory.
Saint Mary's matched Bethel with 46 points in the paint, but the difference at the line proved costly in the closing minutes.
Palmer's career-best 22 points came on 7-of-13 shooting, including six three-pointers. Markham finished with 13 points, sinking two triples and going 5-for-6 at the free-throw line. Branham added 12 points and six rebounds on 6-of-10 shooting, while Jackson Harvey chipped in 11 points, four rebounds, and an efficient 5-for-6 performance from the floor.
For the first time since Dec. 20, 2025, the men's basketball team returns to the David R. Thies Arena this Saturday, Jan. 10 for a 3:00 p.m. matchup against Concordia.
