ARDEN HILLS, Minn.—Basketball fans were treated to an incredible game between two of the top teams within the MIAC Saturday afternoon, as Bethel University played host to the University of St. Thomas. The Royals (15-9, 10-6 MIAC), who defeated the Tommies (20-3, 14-2 MIAC) in St. Paul earlier this season, tried to make it a series sweep, but UST came back in the fourth quarter and eventually outdueled BU in overtime 69-67.

The game had a lot of ups and downs throughout the entire 45 minutes of play for both teams. St. Thomas finished the first quarter on a 7-0 run to grab a 21-16 advantage and then outscored Bethel 17-13 in the second quarter to go into the half with a 38-29 lead.

The Royals responded in a big way, though, as they went off in the third quarter. BU outscored the Tommies 24-11 in the frame—behind to Rachel Parupsky's 10 points—and grabbed a four-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.

UST snagged a marginal advantage late in the fourth quarter, but Bethel was able to close the gap quickly and forced overtime thanks to a layup by Kalli Zimmermann with under 30 seconds remaining. Both teams had opportunities to pull away in the final frame, but it was Tommies that finished one more opportunity down the stretch.

The Royals bench outscored St. Thomas 23-14, but the Tommies outscored Bethel in second chance points 13-7 and points in the paint 26-20. BU limited UST to just 38.1 percent shooting, including a 36.4 percent mark from downtown. The Royals, meanwhile, finished 38.9 percent from the floor but 57.1 percent from downtown.

Leading the way offensively for BU was Rachel Parupsky, who recorded 16 points, four rebounds, four blocks, and two steals. Kalli Zimmermann posted her first double-double of the season with 14 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Molly O'Toole also tallied 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting, along with seven boards and two assists.

Lauren Fischer scored a game-high 18 points and rebounded nine missed shots for St. Thomas.

At 14-9 overall and 10-6 against conference opponents, Bethel stands alone in fifth place with two regular-season games remaining. The Royals play Carleton in Northfield at 7 p.m. on Wednesday and conclude with a road trip down Snelling for a Saturday matinee at Hamline.