Box Score

ARDEN HILLS, Minn. - With the playoff picture only now starting to take shape, the Royals knew they would need to beat a couple of teams that defeated them the first time around. Such was the case when Macalester visited tonight. Bethel accomplished its mission by handing the Scots a 72-61 loss thanks to some great offensive performances and outstanding defense.

The two teams played an even first half, but Bethel trailed by one at 30-29 heading into the locker room. The second half told a much different story. The Royals were quick to attack the basket and drew fouls, but also stepped up their defense, outscoring the Scots 43-31 in the last 20 minutes to clinch the upset.

Taylor Sheley (So., Backus, Minn.) led all scorers with 19 points, and also had two steals and a block. Both Shana Grejtak (Jr., Franklin, Minn.) and Kristi Nye (So., Nashville, Tenn.) scored 15 on the night, while center Scotti Moats (Fr., Waconia, Minn.) accounted for 12 points, including a three-pointer. Grejtak led all Royal rebounders with eight.

Danielle Johnson and Trina PaStarr led the Scots with 18 points each.

The telling statistic of the night, in fact the last couple of games as well, is that Bethel has significantly cut down on turnovers. Tonight saw the Royals only commit 11 miscues compared to their opponent's 14. That total represents at least a 50% drop from several games at the beginning of the season. Also, the Royals shot an impressive 48.3% from the floor, opting for higher percentage shots from close range.

With the win, Bethel enters into a three-way tie for 6th place in the MIAC at 6-8, while improving to 7-10 overall. Macalester drops to 11-6 overall and 11-3 in the conference, maintaining a tie for second place. Bethel will take to the road for a 1 p.m. game this Saturday against Concordia for its next competition.