No. 23 Bethel Dominates No. 17 Gustavus in Battle of MIAC Unbeatens

Game Leaders

Gustavus Adolphus
Pts: Caitlin Rorman - 18
Reb: Maddy Rice - 6
Ast: Ava Gonsorowski - 3
Bethel
Pts: Taite Anderson - 25
Reb: 2 Players (#03, #55 - 7)
Ast: Kat Brown-Erdal - 5

Team Stats

Gustavus Adolphus
Bethel

Field Goals

(18-42)
(25-54)

Field Goal %

42.9%
46.3%

Rebounds

20
33

Assists

9
16

Turnovers

23
20
full stats
Jan 11, 2020

ARDEN HILLS, Minn. – Home court protected. Extending its home winning streak to 12 games, the No. 23/15 Bethel University women's basketball team used a dominating second and third quarter performance to capture a convincing 74-58 win over No. 17/RV Gustavus Adolphus.

Picking up its second Top 25 win in four days, the Royals stay unbeaten at 13-0 and take over the top spot in the MIAC standings as the only team left without a loss at 8-0. BU looks to match the program's longest winning streak next Wednesday at home against St. Olaf at 7 p.m.

Senior forward Taite Anderson had another impressive stat line with a game-high 25 points, seven rebounds, 13 fouls drawn and shooting 7-of-13 from the field. Makenna Pearson finished with 14 points thanks to a strong first half where she scored 11 while freshman Kat Brown-Erdal was dishing it all over the place with five assists and 13 points.

The intensity was there from the tip as the teams traded buckets in the opening five minutes. A perfectly executed set play saw Bella Williams knock down her only 3-point shot of the afternoon giving BU an 18-13 lead after the opening quarter.

Brown-Erdal rose to the occasion sinking a 3-ball and then picking up a steal on the full court press before laying it up capping an 8-0 run. Free throws were the only answer the Gusties had where nine of their 13 second quarter points came from. Brown-Erdal hit once again at the 3:10 mark capturing Bethel's largest lead of the half at 39-20. She then knocked down one of two free throws in the closing seconds of the half sending BU to the locker room up 41-26.

Bethel's lead quickly reached 20 plus where it stayed for most of the third quarter. A pesky BU defense forced the Gusties to only three third-quarter field goals and 0-of-6 from behind the arc. Taite Anderson's 3-pointer with 6:50 in the third gave the Royals their largest lead of the contest at 51-28.

The Gusties pulled within 11 midway through the fourth as the Royals went cold from the field, but never got closer than that. Bethel came down with some key rebounds late out rebounding Gustavus 33-20 for the game, 14 of which came on the offensive end.

Story by Austin Lagesse, Bethel University Assistant Sports Information Director