Box Score Sometimes, less is more. Hamline only used eight players Saturday in their men's basketball game at Macalester. However, those eight did quite a job. The Pipers had their highest scoring output of the season and won their fourth game in a row, outlasting the Scots, 92-83, at Leonard Center. The win kept the Pipers in second place in the MIAC with a 6-2 league mark. They stand 9-4 overall. Both numbers are the best start to a season by a HU men's basketball team since the 1990-91 season -- when current head coach Jim Hayes was a freshman player here. 

The one was difficult from the start. The Pipers shot 53.3 per cent from the field -- a number that often ensures a comfortable win. But the Scots -- most notably Michael Gutierrez -- stayed with HU stride for stride. Macalester shot 50 per cent from the field with Gutierrez showing the way with 40 points.

Zach Smith led HU with 24 points, including 10-for-10 from the free throw line. The Burnsville, Minn. junior leads the MIAC (and ranks fifth among D-III shooters) with a 93.1 percentage from the line (67-72) and has connected on his last 23 tries in a row. He also had a game high six assists. TC Robinson shared the scoring spotlight, firing in a career high 19 points, including four three-pointers while connecting on all five free throw efforts. Kalu Abosi kicked in 13 points -- one short of his season high -- and Isaac Brooks added 10. As they did the week before in a win over Concordia, HU took good care of the ball, committing just four turnovers. 

The Scots scored the first basket of the game and led for the first 14:40 of play. It took a Brooks layup in the waning seconds of the half to send HU to the locker room with a 37-36 advantage. Mac started fast again in the second half and had a five-point lead at 60-55 with 11:32 left. Robinson hit a three-pointer that capped a 7-0 run in a minute to put HU ahead 62-60. The Scots grabbed a brief lead at 63-62 only to see the Pipers answer with five more points and keep the lead for the rest of the game. 

As a result, the Pipers remain tied with St. John's for the second spot in the conference, a game behind league leader Bethel. 

Next week, HU will be busy with three games. Gustavus Adolphus visits Hutton Arena on Monday, January 16 for a 7:00 p.m. game. Their co-tenant in second place, St. John's, is the guest two nights later on Wednesday, January 18, also at 7:00 p.m. The week ends on Saturday, January 21 when the Pipers trek to Arden Hills to face the league leading Royals in a 3:00 p.m. affair.