ARDEN HILLS, Minn. – With five players in double digit scoring figures, the Bethel University women's basketball team used a dominant offensive effort defeating Wisconsin River falls 92-47 in the 2021-22 season opener.
 
Senior forward Megan Boegel and freshman Lydia Hagstrom each poured in a career-high 15 points while sophomore Anna Garfield chipped in a career-high 12 points. Freshman Courtney Nuest and junior Kat Brown-Erdal scored 11 and 10 points respectively.
 
There was no shortage of offensive in the first 20 minutes of the season where Bethel shot 64.5 percent (20-of-31) from the field. The Royals came out of the gates running getting into the paint and the charity stripe.
 
In the first quarter, 14 of BU's 29 points came inside the lane while nine were at the charity stripe. The Royals defense held River Falls to 33.3 percent from the floor taking a 52-30 advantage into the half.
 
BU's defense came out stronger in the third quarter where it held the Falcons to mere two points. The Royals had their best scoring run at 21-0 through the final 7:21 of the third.
 
Turning over the Falcons 20 times, BU turned that into 30 points on the other end while also getting to the free throw line. Bethel went 17-of-20 (58 percent) from the charity stripe.
 
The Royals head south to Dubuque, Iowa for the Loras Tip-Off Classic. Bethel opens the two-game weekend with Wisconsin-Platteville on Friday at 5 p.m. before taking on Wisconsin-Stout Saturday at 2 p.m.