WINONA, Minn. – The Bethel University women's basketball team captured its ninth straight win with a 60-55 road win at Saint Mary's Saturday afternoon. It also keeps the Royals undefeated in MIAC play where they sit atop the standings at 12-0.
Anna Garfield led the Royals with 15 points, four rebounds and three steals.
Elly Schmitz was right behind her dropping 13 points and adding seven boards.
Emily Erickson off the bench contributed 12 points.
Bethel overcame a tough shooting day where they were 39.7 percent from the field and a near season-low 2-of-19 (10.5 percent) from three-point range. Saint Mary's shot 41.3 percent from the field and were 2-of-17 from behind the arc.
The Royals took a narrow 13-12 lead after the opening quarter where the teams combined 0-for-8 from behind the arc.
Neither team held a lead bigger than three midway through the second until the Royals went on a 10-0 run that gave them a 30-21 lead, one that they never gave up from there.
The Cardinals beat the halftime horn with a layup and sending the Royals into the locker room up 32-27.
Bethel's largest lead of the day came at 40-29 as
Rosalie Penke knocked down a trey with 7:21 to go in the third. SMU cut the lead down to four on three separate occasions as BU went into the final 10 minutes up 47-43.
The Royals held a brief 10-point advantage, opening the fourth on a 6-0 run, including a turnaround jumper and layup from Garfield. The Cardinals got as close as six before BU held a nine-point lead at 60-51 with 1:28 left on an offensive putback by Penke.
UP NEXT
Bethel wraps up the two-game road trip at Carleton on Wednesday, Feb. 5. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m.
