Men's hoops lose final game of season

Ben Hande
February 19, 2005

The St. Olaf men's basketball team, despite 14 and 11 point efforts from seniors Andy Grimsrud (Zumbrota, Minn./ Zumbrota-Mazeppa) and Wade Pierce (Brooklyn Park, Minn./ Osseo), lost 63-57 to St. Mary's in the final game of the season Saturday afternoon in Skoglund Center.

St. Olaf cut a five-point St. Mary's lead to two with 25 seconds left when Jon Butala (So., West St. Paul/ Henry Sibley) was fouled on a three-point attempt and buried each freethrow. The Oles were forced to foul on the inbound play and St. Mary's Brensley Hayward made both freethrows to make it a two-possession game putting it out of reach for St. Olaf

The shooting was never there for the Oles who shot 32 percent in the first half and 36 for the game. St. Olaf was 6-of-20 from beyond the arc and 15-of-19 from the freethrow line.

Seniors Erik Sviggum (Kenyon, Minn./ Kenyon-Wannamingo), Pierce, Pat Fraser (Bloomington, Minn./ Jefferson), Grimsrud, and Eric Holway (Marquette, Mich.) were sent away with cheers as they played in their last contest for St. Olaf.

The Oles finish the season with a 3-17 MIAC record and 7-18 overall.

Contact media relations specialist Mike Ludwig at (507) 786-3834 or ludwigm@stolaf.edu.