ARDEN HILLS, Minn. - Keeping its winning ways, the Bethel University women's basketball team returned home to the Robertson Center and kicked off a three-game homestand Wednesday with a 77-56 victory over St. Catherine. The Royals are now 18-0 on the season, 13-0 in MIAC action and have beaten the Wildcats nine straight times.
Once again
Taite Anderson was the leader of the offense, pouring in 24 points on 8-of-10 shooting and a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc. She added six rebounds and five steals as well.
Haylee Barker scored a season and career-high 20 points while
Elizabeth Schwarz scored 12 off the bench for support.
In control for most of the first half, Bethel held a commanding 40-17 lead with 3:31 left in the second quarter after a
Taite Anderson three-pointer; the Wildcats answered with a 10-0 burst to close the frame, trailing by just 13 at the break with momentum in their favor.
The Royals opened the third quarter by pushing the lead back to 49-32 thanks to a pair of Schwarz free throws at the 5:37 mark. St. Catherine proceeded to outscore Bethel 12-4 in the next three and a half minutes, with the score after three quarters sitting at 56-45.
Anderson, the reigning USBWA Division III Women's Basketball Player of the Week, took over inside and out putting away the win in the fourth quarter, scoring 10 of her 24 points in a four-minute stretch.
Bethel shot 49.1 percent (28-for-57) from the field and 76.2 percent (16-for-21) from the free throw line. They also forced 27 turnovers and held the Wildcats to five second chance points.
The homestand continues with the back end of a men's/women's doubleheader in the Robertson Center against Macalester on Saturday, tipping off at 3 p.m.
