It got a little hairy at the end but the Hamline men's basketball team made the points when they most needed them to defeat Wis-Superior, 75-69, in the home opener at Hutton Arena Tuesday night. Connor Knutson scored 23 points and had six rebounds for the Pipers, who evened their 2018-19 record at 1-1. Ethan Scheuring added 14 with Isaac Brooks kicking in 10. 

HU had a big night in the paint, outscoring UWS by a 42-28 margin. They also took advantage of 21 Yellowjacket turnovers to score 26 points and held a 13-2 edge in second chance points. 

Hamline started fast, grabbing a 16-9 lead after just six minutes of play. The Pipers pushed the lead to 18 points before settling for a 40-27 halftime advantage. The lead spread back to 18 at 57-39 with 10:36 but UWS went on a 15-1 run that narrowed the lead to 58-54 with 6:39 remaining. The margin was severed to three at 62-59 but that was close as it would get. Hamline connected on seven of eight free throws in the final minute of play to seal the win. 

The Pipers shot 47 per cent from the field (27-58). In addition to their scoring efforts, Knutson had a pair of blocks and Scheuring has a pair of steals. Montroy Scott led the Yellowjackets with 21 and Mac Reykdal added 16.

HU heads up Snelling Ave. Thursday, November 15 to face Northwestern. Game time is 7:30 p.m.