ARDEN HILLS, Minn.—Bethel University's defense stifled Carleton College throughout Wednesday night's MIAC matchup and led to a 87-31 home victory. Not only did the Royals (10-6, 6-3 MIAC) hold the Knights (4-12, 1-8 MIAC) to an average of 7.8 points per quarter, but BU also forced Carleton into 26 turnovers in a game that was out of sight after the first quarter.
 
The Royals began the game with a 20-6 advantage after the opening quarter of play and stretched their lead to 16 by the midway mark. That was just the tip of the iceberg, as BU outscored the Knights 53-13 in the final 20 minutes of play. Bethel finished the night with 13 steals and just 12 turnovers, opposed to Carleton, who ended with 26 turnovers and six takeaways. The Royals dominated the glass as well, outrebounding the Knights 43-30.
 
Those numbers led to a 26-6 difference in points off of turnovers, a 10-2 margin in fast-break points, and a 38-14 result in points in the paint. Bethel's bench also outscored Carleton's 33-14. BU shot 53.3 percent from the floor as a unit and 79.2 percent from the foul line. The Knights were held to 21.6 percent shooting and shot 52.9 percent from the charity stripe.
 
Molly O'Toole led the Royals again with a game-high 19 points, seven rebounds, two blocks, and two steals in 23 minutes played. Rachel Parupsky added 14 points, four boards, and three blocks, while Kalli Zimmermann finished with 13 points, six rebounds, and three assists.
 
Also making sizeable contributions for BU was Abby Miller, Hannah Johnson, and Hannah Niewald. Miller recorded 10 points and three steals, while Johnson tallied seven points, 11 rebounds, and four blocks. Niewald manufactured five points, five boards, four steals, and three assists.
 
Following Wednesday night's victory, Bethel stands in a four-way tie for third place—just a game behind St. Thomas and two games behind Saint Mary's. Among the four teams tied for third place are Concordia and Gustaus, who are the Royals next two opponents. BU starts with a road contest in Moorhead this Saturday with tipoff scheduled to start 30 minutes after the men's game, which begins at 1 p.m.