WINONA, Minn. – Riding a six-game winning streak the Royals traveled to Winona, Minnesota to take on Saint Mary's University in a MIAC matchup and it was Bethel who walked away victorious with a 68-60 win. BU hit 16-of-25 shots in the first half, taking the initial 42-21 lead and finished the game with an eight-point margin.

In the opening minute the Cardinals held a two-point lead, but it was the Royals that came back to take an 11-4 lead at the 15-minute mark. Bethel maintained its seven-point advantage until 8:26 in the first frame when BU led 23-16. The Royals stepped on the gas from there when going on a 15-1 run that put BU ahead for good 38-17.

Bethel hit 71.4 percent of its shots from beyond the three-point arc in the first frame alone, which was a critical element to the success of the BU offense. Another critical area to the Royals success was a limited amount of turnovers throughout the first 20 minutes. Taylor Sheley (Sr., Backus, Minn.) led Bethel in the first half with 13 points and 5 rebounds. Nicole Berscheid (So., Holdingford, Minn.)picked up the BU offense too with nine first half points. Leslie Handzus (Fr., Lakefield, Minn.) also contributed eight points.

Kiah Dahlquist (Fr., St. Cloud, Minn.) opened the second half with a layup that put the Royals up by 23 points with a 44-21 lead. The rest of the half saw the Cardinals claw its way back on 45 percent shooting from the floor. Saint Mary's narrowed the gap quickly on an 18-2 run that closed the gap to 51-45 with just under ten minutes remaining. Bethel would have no more and finished the game with a 68-60 victory.

Sheley added six more in the second, while Berscheid, Micaella Petrich (So., Rosemount, Minn.) and Kiah Dahlquist each added four. Bethel cooled off a bit in the second, only shooting 32 percent.

Several elements contributed to the Royals success Saturday including a 15-8 advantage when comparing points off turnovers. Head Coach Jon Herbrechtsmeyer also inspired his bench to outscore the Cardinal bench 28-20. Taylor Sheley finished with 19 points, a feat she has at least accomplished five times in the last six games. Sheley also boarded 11 shots for her first double-double of the year. Nicole Berscheid finished with 13 points, three rebounds, and two assists.

The win now puts the Royals at 7-1 (5-0 MIAC) overall and gives BU the sole possession of first place in the MIAC. It is Bethel's seventh straight win and puts the women in good spirits before it endures 11 contests throughout January.