Blaine Native Taylor Hall Honored by MIAC as Men's Basketball Athlete of the Week

SAINT PAUL, MN (02/15/2012)(readMedia)-- Bethel University senior Taylor Hall of Blaine, Minn., was named Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Men's Basketball Athlete of the Week for his performance the week of January 16-23, 2012.

The Royals knocked off a pair of MIAC first-place teams, including defending Division III champions St. Thomas on a buzzer-beater, with Taylor Hall leading the way in the two unforgettable wins. The forward averaged 19.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.5 blocked shots, and 0.5 steals per game in Bethel's back-to-back upsets.

Hall started the week with an 18-point, seven-rebound, three-block performance in the Royals' biggest win to date. Thanks to a put-back at the buzzer, Bethel pulled off a thrilling 69-68 win on the Tommies' home floor in St. Paul on Wednesday night. For an encore, the Royals returned home to hand Gustavus a 75-71 win in Arden Hills Saturday with Hall again playing the star role. He just missed on a 20-10 game with 21 points, nine rebounds, four assists, and a steal. This season, Hall ranks fifth in the MIAC in scoring (15.8 points per game), eighth in assists (2.62 per game), ninth in rebounding (6.1 per game), and third in blocked shots (1.15 per game), while shooting better than 50 percent from the floor and 70 percent from the line.

Bethel University is a leader in Christ-centered higher education with approximately 6,600 students from 48 states and 25 countries enrolled in undergraduate, graduate, seminary, and adult education programs. Based in St. Paul, Minn., with additional seminary locations on both coasts, Bethel offers rigorous bachelor's and advanced degrees in nearly 100 relevant fields. For further information on Bethel University, go to www.bethel.edu.