NORTHFIELD, Minn. – Sophomore
Dominic Bledsoe sank a game-winning three-pointer with 0.5 seconds remaining to give the St. Olaf men's basketball team a 68-66 victory over Gustavus Adolphus College in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) matchup at Skoglund Center on Wednesday evening.
With St. Olaf (5-4, 4-0 MIAC) trailing 66-64 with under 30 seconds remaining,
Austin Korba missed a potential go-ahead three-pointer with 18 seconds left, but
Carter Uphus was fouled going for the offensive rebound. After making the first of two free throws, Uphus missed the second, but
Noah Beck tapped the rebound back and Uphus eventually found Bledsoe open on the left win for teh eventual game-winning three-pointer.
After the referees confirmed the basket was good and put half a second back on the clock, Gustavus (3-6, 1-4 MIAC) threw a long pass into the front court on the ensuing inbounds play and drew a foul near the sideline to send Nolan Malo to the free throw line. Malo missed the first and, after a timeout, purposely missed the second off the back rim and Uphus batted the ball back towards half court to run the remaining time off the clock.
The Oles have now won five-straight games and have won 12 of the past 13 meetings with the Gusties dating back to 2013.
Senior
Austin Korba led St. Olaf with a team-high 17 points, seven rebounds, four steals, and three assists. Beck added 13 points, six rebounds, and three assists, while junior
Troy Diggins Jr. added 11 points and four rebounds.
The Oles scored early with a basket from Bledsoe and the Gusties scored the next two baskets, taking a 4-2 lead, as they would not surrender this lead again until the final moments of the game.
After St. Olaf was down 14-6, junior
Travis Fauchald hit back-to-back baskets to make the score 16-11 with 13:36 left in the first half. Riley Sharbono drained a three-pointer, giving the Gusties a nine-point lead midway through the half.
Senior
Ben Scheffley found Beck inside for a basket, bringing the Oles within four points as seven minutes remained in the half. After a basket from Issac Douglas, the Gusties held a 10-point, 41-31, lead at the end of the opening half.
With 11 minutes remaining in the game, Korba, off an assist by Bledsoe, drove to the basket and converted a three-point play. Korba's basket cut the Gustie's lead to seven.
A Diggins Jr. layup with 3:07 left in the game tied the game at 62-62, but the Gusties regained the lead after a Sharbono three-point play. Sharbono sank two free throws as Gustavus held a 66-62 lead with 1:50 left in the contest.
A drive to the basket by Beck cut the lead to two at 66-64 with 55 seconds remaining. The Oles' defense then forced a turnover to get the ball back with 31 seconds remaining to set up the chaotic final sequence.
St. Olaf committed just 11 turnovers in the game, compared to 19 for Gustavus. The Oles also enjoyed a 38-28 advantage in points in the paint and a 14-0 advantage in points in transition.
The Oles are back in action on Wednesday, Jan. 2 when they travel to Arden Hills to face Bethel in a MIAC contest at 7 p.m.
