OSHKOSH, Wis. – Causing two key turnovers in the final 23 seconds, the No. 23rd-ranked Bethel University women's basketball team advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament following a 71-65 win over DePauw Friday evening.
The win is the first for the Royals in the NCAA Tournament since 1996.
Anna Garfield led the team with 17 points and seven rebounds. Off the bench,
Emily Erickson chipped in 16 points while
Elly Schmitz added 14 points, five rebounds, and four steals.
The Royals shot 48.1% from the field while holding the Tigers to 36.5 percent from the floor and 26.3 percent from 3-point range.
Bethel's largest deficit of the night came four minutes into the game where they trailed 6-1. Garfield added the next five points as BU closed the quarter on a 14-6 run taking a 15-12 lead.
A layup by Garfield with 3:33 in the half got BU's advantage in double digits at 29-19. Erickson rattled off a layup and a pair of makes at the line, giving BU its largest lead of the game at 35-24 with 1:20 left in the half. The Tigers scored the final four points of the half sending BU into the break up 35-28.
DePauw grabbed its first lead since the opening quarter on a pull up jumper with 49 seconds left in the third. BU took the lead back on the next trip down the floor before the Tigers beat the horn with a 3-pointer to go ahead 51-49.
The Royals opened the fourth on a 7-0 run to take the lead back for good. DePauw got as close as 59-58 with 3:35 to go and 664-63 with 31 seconds left. Bethel's defense forced two turnovers in the Tigers' final three possessions while closing it out at the charity stripe where they finished 15-of-18 (83.3%) for the night.
UP NEXT
Bethel advances to the Oshkosh Regional final set for Saturday night at 7 p.m. They take on the hosts Wisconsin-Oshkosh who defeated Calvin in Friday's second game.
