NORTHFIELD, Minn. – An explosive fourth quarter for the Bethel University women's basketball team led them to a Monday MIAC victory at St. Olaf College, 66-51. The win locks Bethel into a top-four seed which includes an opening round bye in the MIAC Playoffs.
 
Hayden Glander led the team with 17 points and four steals. Not too far behind her was Makenna Pearson with 16 points and five rebounds. Anna Garfield had a dominant stat line with 14 points, six rebounds, four blocks, four assists and a perfect 4-for-4 from the charity stripe.
 
Tied at 34-34 with 6:03 left in the third, Bethel went on a 10-3 run which gave them a seven-point advantage. The Oles after that kept it in check with a three and some free throws getting back within one. Garfield connected on a second chance opportunity leaving BU with a 48-43 lead at the end of the third.
 
In the fourth, the Royals opened the first five minutes on another 10-3 run as Kat Brown-Erdal's pull up jumper moved the lead back to double-digits where it stayed the rest of the way.
 
The defense ramped it up forcing the Oles to go 2-of-13 from the field in the fourth holding them to eight points in total.
 
In what wasn't their best free throw shooting night, the Royals scored six of their final eight from the charity stripe.
 
Bethel led a majority of the opening quarter but took a one-point deficit into the first break. A tough opening half offensively continued into the second where BU went 5-of-17 and St. Olaf 4-of-17 in the second quarter. The Oles connected right before the buzzer putting the Royals lead at 30-28 heading into the locker room.
 
The Royals close out the regular season Wednesday night in the Robertson Center at 7 p.m. hosting Carleton. Read Full Article