SAINT PAUL, MINN.--The Hamline University men's basketball team widened their win steak to three games with a 63-57 road victory over St. Olaf Wednesday night. Senior
Austin Holt's nine points in the contest gives him exactly 1,000 for his Hamline career, the 20th player in program history to achieve the milestone. Holt, who began his collegiate career at Northern State, scored his 1000th collegiate point off a free throw with 9:43 left in the first half.
The Pipers improve to 9-7, 5-2 MIAC, while the Oles fall to 1-14, 0-6 MIAC.
Hamline 63, St. Olaf 57
Both teams engaged in a tightly contested first half, with Hamline narrowly leading 27-26 at halftime. Early in the game, St. Olaf's Kobe Kirk hit a 3-pointer, contributing to a 5-2 lead with 16:50 left in the opening frame. The Pipers responded with a scoring run featuring a layup by
Bradley Cimperman that tied the game at 9-9 at the 11:07 mark. A significant moment occurred when
Austin Holt scored his 1,000th collegiate point on a free throw, which gave Hamline a 12-11 lead with 9:43 left in the first half. Later,
Raoul Vaidya's 3-pointer at 8:38Â gave Hamline a 15-13 advantage. The half concluded with
Daniel McCarrell scoring a layup with 0:12 on the clock, securing a one-point 27-26 lead for Hamline.
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The second half saw the Pipers take an early advantage with a quick layup by
Austin Holt at 19:02, pushing their lead to 29-28. St. Olaf's Addison Metcalf responded with a layup at 18:12, but Hamline maintained its lead with significant contributions from
Brendan Ebel, who hit a 3-pointer at 16:15, and
Bradley Cimperman, who added several free throws and a layup, extending the lead to 36-30 with 15:44 remaining. Despite a technical foul on St. Olaf's Kobe Kirk, which resulted in two successful free throws by
Raoul Vaidya at 8:22, the Oles rallied with a tying layup from Kobe Kirk at 6:13 that made the score 41-41. The game remained competitive, highlighted by a crucial 3-pointer from
Raoul Vaidya at 4:48, allowing Hamline to secure a 63-57 victory.
Austin Holt's nine points in the game brought him exactly to 1,000 points for his Hamline career.
Raoul Vaidya led the team in free throws made with seven and also recorded three steals.
Bradley Cimperman was the team's top scorer with 14 points, making five baskets in the game. Holt was dominant on the boards, collecting a season-high total of 18Â rebounds, including 17 on the defensive end.
Daniel McCarrell contributed with 10 points and led the team in assists with three.
Hamline shot .400 (20-of-50) from the field, while St. Olaf finished with a .349 (22-of-63) mark.
Kobe Kirk emerged as a key player for the Oles, leading the team with 14 points on five baskets and converting three steals. Luther Tostrud showcased his accuracy from beyond the arc, hitting three-of-four 3-point attempts and contributing two steals. A.J. Uhl added ten points, with two successful 3-pointers and five total rebounds. Addison Metcalf provided defensive support with two blocks, and Dashiel Walker led the team in rebounds with eight, while also adding six points and two assists.
The Pipers will host Gustavus Adolphus at Hutton Arena on Wednesday, January 22 at 5:30 p.m.
