MILWAUKEE—Bethel University's women's basketball team suffered a 61-70 setback Friday evening against Carthage College, despite leading throughout the first 35 minutes of play.
 
The Royals (1-1, 0-0 MIAC) jumped ahead of the Lady Reds (1-1, 0-0 CCIW) one minute into the game and held a commanding lead throughout the majority of the contest until Carthage went on a 24-6 run throughout the fourth quarter that proved to be too much for BU down the stretch.
 
Bethel finished the night shooting 40.0 percent from the floor and 75.0 percent from the free throw line. Leading the way offensively for BU was Hannah Simpson, who came off the bench to score 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting and grab six rebounds.
 
Abby Miller made it back-to-back games with double-digit points, as the junior guard finished with 13 points. Meanwhile, freshman Taite Anderson tallied her first career double-double with 11 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, and two steals.
 
The Royals showed great strength on the glass—outrebounding their opponent 42-27, which included a 17-8 advantage in offensive boards. Moreover, BU's bench outscored Carthage 25-22 and overmatched the Lady Reds in fast break points by a final margin of 10-4. Carthage showed their muscle by outscoring Bethel 46-30 in the paint and 22-16 in points off of turnovers.
 
BU will close out the 2016 Paul F. Knueppel Classic Saturday, November 19, when they take on tournament host Wisconsin Lutheran at 3 p.m.