ST. PAUL, Minn. – First year Kobe Kirk scored a team-high 18 points off the bench, but the St. Olaf College men's basketball team dropped its second-straight Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) road game by a 60-52 margin to Hamline University on Saturday afternoon at Hutton Arena.

Kirk shot 6-for-12 from the field, including 2-for-5 from behind the arc, and was 4-for-4 from the free-throw line on his way to matching his career high of 18 points for St. Olaf (4-2, 2-2 MIAC), which committed 18 turnovers and shot just 37.0 percent (20-for-54) from the field. Hamline (5-1, 3-0 MIAC) won its fifth-straight game despite shooting just 36.8 percent (21-for-57) for the game but committed just six turnovers in the victory.

Junior Connor Martin and fifth-year senior Nathan Hendler joined Kirk in double figures, as Martin had 12 points, five rebounds, two assists, and two blocks, while Hendler recorded his second-career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. St. Olaf had just four assists on its 20 made field goals in the game.

Bradley Cimperman was just 5-for-17 from the field but hit 9-of-10 free throws to score a game-high 20 points for Hamline. Austin Holt contributed across the board with 11 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, three blocks, and five steals.

After falling in a 5-0 hole early, St. Olaf grabbed an 8-7 lead less than four minutes in after Martin and Hendler combined for the Oles' first eight points of the game. A three-pointer by sophomore Addison Metcalf at the 7:15 mark gave St. Olaf a 17-15 edge and, two minutes later, a three-pointer by Kirk resulted in the Oles' largest lead of the game at 22-18.

Hamline held St. Olaf scoreless for the final 3:51 of the half to send the teams to the locker rooms tied at 24-24 after a low-scoring first 20 minutes. The Oles committed 11 turnovers in the opening half but held the Pipers to 28.1 percent shooting (9-for-32).

Out of the break, Hamline opened the second half on a 5-0 run behind five quick points from Mick Wherley and led the rest of the way. St. Olaf scored the next four points to make it a one-point game at 29-28 but could get no closer, as the Pipers scored the next eight points to open up a nine-point cushion.

The Oles trimmed a 13-point deficit to six at 46-40 on a three-pointer by Hendler with 8:26 to go and were within five with 2:24 remaining following a three-pointer by senior Charlie Haff but missed its next three shots.

St. Olaf hits the road again to take on Gustavus Adolphus College on Wednesday, Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. in St. Peter.