Box Score

ARDEN HILLS, Minn. – Bethel University's women's basketball squad picked up its first conference win Wednesday evening with a 57-44 victory over St. Catherine University. The Royals (2-10, 1-8 MIAC) utilized a dominant second half, shooting 54 percent from the floor and 100 percent from the foul line, to secure the first MIAC victory since February 11, 2012 against Hamline University.
 
Rachel Parupksy (Fr., Arden Hills, Minn.) played a critical role, as her 12 points and 5 rebounds in the second half helped Bethel outscore the Wildcats (1-11,0-9 MIAC) 33-26 following the intermission. Parupsky finished the night with 15 points, eight boards, and seven blocks—increasing her season average to 5.3 swats per game. Sydney Schultz (Fr., Dalton, Minn.) also had a stellar performance, scoring 14 points on 4-of-12 shooting, alongside three steals. Lexi Freisen (Fr., Osage, Iowa) hit double digits as well, making 4-of-8 shots for 12 points.
 
Bethel went into the half with a 24-16 advantage, however, St. Catherine quickly narrowed the gap to 28-27 in the first five minutes of the second frame. The Royals refused to quit, though, as Schultz capped a 25-7 run for BU over the next 10 minutes. In that time lapse, Bethel held the Wildcats to two points in an eight-minute window.
 
The Royals dominated much of the stat sheet, outscoring the Wildcats in points off turnovers (13-7), points in the paint (14-10), fast break points (10-0), and bench points (16-2). BU achieved this by a full-court press that proved advantageous, as it created 18 SCU turnovers throughout the 40-minute contest.
 
Bethel will travel to Winona, Minn., Saturday to take on the Cardinals for a 1 p.m. matinee. The Cardinals improved to 9-3 (6-3 MIAC) with a win over Macalester Wednesday night, placing SMU fifth among conference opponents. Live stats and webcast will be available here for Saturday's contest.