SAINT PAUL, Minn. — Hamline (13-9, 5-8 MIAC) secured an 83-79 victory over Bethel University (11-13, 7-7 MIAC) on Wednesday night at Hutton Arena. Hamline capitalized on 16 free throws and limited its turnovers to seven, contributing to its win.

The game began with Bethel's Nick Burke scoring the first point from the free-throw line at 19:34. Hamline's Dane DeDominces quickly responded with a layup to initiate a back-and-forth scoring sequence. Bethel gained a brief advantage with a 3-pointer by Blake Schmitz at 18:31, but Hamline's Raoul Vaidya helped his team maintain momentum by scoring key points, including a 3-pointer at 14:05. DeDominces and Dominic Dosmann led Hamline's efforts in the paint, with DeDominces closing the half with a layup at 00:42. Despite a late 3-pointer by Schmitz for Bethel, Hamline held a 46-37 lead at the end of the first half.

Bethel mounted a strong second-half effort, led by Schmitz's key scoring, including a 3-pointer at the 5:23 mark and a layup with 4:03 remaining. The Pipers responded through Vaidya's consistent inside scoring, maintaining a slim lead. Brendan Ebel further solidified Hamline's position with a layup and free throw at the 2:46 mark, extending their advantage. Despite Bethel's late 3-pointer from Sam Gingras, Hamline secured an 83-79 victory with clutch free throws by Vaidya in the final seconds.

Raoul Vaidya led with 24 points, converting 8 of 16 field goals and all six free throws. Ebel recorded a double-double, collecting 10 rebounds and adding three assists. Jake DeDominces contributed 13 points, successfully hitting two of three from beyond the arc. Dosmann finished with 14 points, making 5 of 6 shots from the field, and logged one block and one steal.

The Pipers will be back at home on Saturday, February 14 to take on Saint John's, with tipoff scheduled for 3 PM in Hutton Arena!