ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Macalester College men's basketball team dropped a home MIAC game to visiting Gustavus Adolphus College, 83-68 Saturday afternoon in the Leonard Center. With the loss, the Scots fall to 4-3 overall and 0-2 in league play, while the Gusties improve to 2-2, 2-0 MIAC.

Gustavus opened the game red hot, reeling off a 17-2 run over the first 6:20 of the game. A three-pointer by sophomore guard Michael Gutierrez (Stillwater, Minn./St. Croix Prep Academy) stopped the run, and eight points from senior center Kareem Ismail (Pasadena, Calif./Flintridge Prep) helped to bring Macalester to within six, 21-15 with 8:34 remaining in the first half. A 12-3 spree from the Gusties restored the 15-point advantage, as Gustavus ended up taking a 41-28 lead at the half. The Scots shot 36.0 percent from the field in the first half compared to 56.5 percent for Gustavus.

In the second half, back-to-back threes by junior guard Brett Olson (New London, Minn./New London-Spicer), plus a three-pointer from Gutierrez, ignited an 11-3 run that reduced Gustavus' lead to five, 44-39 with 17:13 to play. The Gusties responded with a 12-5 run later in the half that pushed their lead to 61-48 at the 11:15 mark. The lead grew to as many 20 points, as Macalester never came closer than 10 points the rest of the way. Gustavus outrebounded the Scots, 42-22 while hitting 20-of-22 (90.9 percent) from the free throw line compared to 22-of-34 (64.7 percent) for Macalester.

Ismail was 8-of-10 from the field and 9-of-13 from the line en route to a game-high 25 points to go with six rebounds. Gutierrez finished with 23 points while making four three-pointers, and Olson contributed nine points and six boards. Spencer Tollefson led Gustavus with 16 points, as five Gusties scored in double figures.

The Scots return to action on Wednesday, Dec. 7 with a MIAC game at Carleton, beginning at 7:00 p.m. in Northfield, Minn.