ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Bethel University women's basketball team cruised past St. Catherine 64-38 while holding the Wildcats to a season-low 24.6 percent mark from the field.
 
Bethel's defense forced 20 turnovers while collecting 12 steals with Collette Duininck having four of them.
 
The win keeps Bethel undefeated in conference play at 10-0 and improves them to 14-3.
 
Anna Garfield led all scorers with 19 points while adding nine rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks. Elly Schmitz chipped in 18 points behind a career-high five treys. She added seven rebounds and five blocks.
 
Bethel raced out to a 16-5 lead before shooting 57.1 percent in the opening quarter and taking a 20-9 lead into the second.
 
After the Wildcats scored on their opening possession, the Royals went on a 12-0 run over a three minute stretch, expanding the lead to 32-12. A three-point play by Garfield and a pair of free throws from Macey Littlefield sent BU into the intermission up 42-19.
 
Knocking down her third triple of the game with 6:10 left in the third, Schmitz gave the Royals their largest lead of the game at 49-21.
 
Bethel's fourth-quarter scoring came entirely behind the arc with Duininck knocking down a trey and Schmitz two more. SCU's only points in the quarter came with 9:37 left on a layup.
 
UP NEXT
Bethel returns to the Robertson Center for a conference-clash with Augsburg on Wednesday, Jan. 29. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
 
  Read Full Article