Strong Defensive Effort Extends No. 13 Bethel to 14 Game Winning Streak

Game Leaders

St. Olaf
Pts: Rachel Kelly - 10
Reb: Camryn Scott - 7
Ast: Grace Hegland - 3
Bethel
Pts: Taite Anderson - 17
Reb: Elizabeth Schwarz - 7
Ast: Haylee Barker - 6

Team Stats

St. Olaf
Bethel

Field Goals

(13-45)
(28-56)

Field Goal %

28.9%
50.0%

Rebounds

34
27

Assists

7
20

Turnovers

38
18

Pts off Turnovers

11
37

2nd Chance Pts

4
8

Pts in the Paint

22
38

Fastbreak Pts

0
15

Bench Pts

15
31
full stats
Jan 15, 2020

ARDEN HILLS, Minn. – Things ramped up defensively in the second half where the Bethel University women's basketball team outscored St. Olaf 49-11 en route to an 82-36 victory Wednesday evening in the Robertson Center. 

Forcing a season-high 38 turnovers and assisting on 20 of their 28 makes, the Royals improve to 14-0 on the year and 9-0 in the MIAC. The 14 wins matches the program's longest winning streak dating back to the 1993-94 season.  

Senior Taite Anderson led all scorers once again with 17 points on 5-of-7 shooting. Elizabeth Schwarz added 13 points and a game-high seven boards while Kat Brown-Erdal had 10. Haylee Barker in 26 minutes of action had eight points, six assists and seven steals. Bella Williams added seven steals to the Royals total of 24, which marks the seventh time this year BU has had 20 or more steals.

A big third quarter where the Royals opened on a 14-0 run sealed the deal. Brown-Erdal and Anderson combined for nine of those 14 points while the defense didn't allow a bucket until the 3:46 mark. BU got inside the paint outscoring the Oles 28-4 for the quarter.

Forcing 16 turnovers in the third alone, the defense stayed consistent in the fourth forcing St. Olaf to go 1-of-6 from the floor. Emma Schultz knocked down her second three of the game midway through the fourth giving BU a 40-plus point lead.

The Royals didn't garner their first lead of the contest until the 4:22 mark of the first quarter thanks to a steal and a layup form Barker. Full court pressure by Bethel forced St. Olaf to turn it over nine times which BU capitalized on for a four point lead after one.

Bethel opened the second quarter with a 9-2 run through the first two and a half minutes pushing its lead to 24-13. St. Olaf kept within reach as the Royals made 13 trips to the charity stripe in the second but only connected on four of those opportunities. Despite struggles in what has been a consistent quarter for BU this season, the Royals took a 33-25 lead into the locker room.

Story by Austin Lagesse, Bethel University Assistant Sports Information Director