Coaches hope to get balanced scoring attack for their basketball teams. Hamline men's coach Jim Hayes got just that Saturday when he had four players score 12 points or more against Bethel at Hutton Arena. Alas, so did the Royals who used a 19-6 run to end the first half to grab a lead and hang on for an 88-75 decision. 

Zach Smith led HU with 14 points and a seven rebounds. He got considerable help from Bret Lukes, who came off the bench to rattle in 13 and Jay Betts, who added 12 (plus four steals), including a monster slam dunk that had the crowd howling. Kalu Abosi also hit the double figure radar with a dozen markers. 

The lead changed hands eight times and there were eight tie scores in a lively first 14 minutes of play. That's when the Royals went on that late run to take a 52-40 lead into the locker room. The Pipers fought back in the second session coming within four at 76-72 with 4:16 remaining. Bethel responded by scoring the next six points -- and that was too much to overcome in a short time frame. The Pipers shot well -- 48 per cent from the field with seven three-pointers. 

Derek Magnuson led Bethel with 23 points and seven rebounds. 

Hamline (3-3 overall, 0-2 MIAC) now heads on the road for a pair of conference games next week. First up: a Wednesday, December 7 date at St. Thomas (7:00 p.m.). On Saturday, December 10, HU goes to Northfield to take on Carleton (3:00 p.m.)