ARDEN HILLS, Minn. – The Bethel University women's basketball team sent its senior class out in style in their final home game earning a gritty 61-58 win over Gustavus Adolphus Monday night inside the Robertson Center.

Elizabeth Schwarz had another dominant night with a game-high 20 points and team-leading eight rebounds. Makenna Pearson knocked down 12 of her 17 points from behind the arc while Kat Brown Erdal finished with 11 points.  Bella Williams on the defensive end picked up seven steals.

A sloppy start that saw each team turn it over nine times in the opening quarter came out in Bethel's favor where they held a 14-9 advantage. While the Royals struggled from long distance, their defense held Gustavus in check.

Big defensive stops with blocks from Michaela Craigan and Anna Garfield near the end of the half lit a fire into the Royals taking a 29-22 lead into the locker room.

The Royals limited their turnovers in the third while a layup from Schwarz at the 4:57 mark gave BU its largest advantage at 43-27. GAC crawled back into the fight getting within three points with just over five minutes to go.

While the Gusties were doing their work from the charity stripe, Bethel stayed in the fight down the stretch where it was a one possession game for the final 2:40.

With five seconds left, Brown-Erdal hit both ends of a two-shot foul to go up three. Gustavus, with no timeouts left, pushed it up the floor where they game tying shoot hit front iron and out.

While Bethel will finish its abbreviated regular season at 4-4, one more game awaits them Wednesday. The Royals travel to Rochester Technological Community College (NJCAA) where they take on the 10-0 Yellowjackets in an exhibition matchup.

 

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