ARDEN HILLS, Minn. – The St. Olaf College women's basketball team snapped a lengthy losing streak to Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) foe Bethel University by downing the Royals, 47-42, on Saturday afternoon at Robertson Center.

St. Olaf (5-6, 2-6 MIAC) ended a 15-game losing streak to Bethel (6-5, 6-2 MIAC) by limiting the Royals to 16-for-64 (25.0 percent) shooting in the game and getting a 21-point, 11-rebound double-double from senior Rachel Kelly. Prior to Saturday, the Oles' last win in the series was a 69-57 home victory on Jan. 20, 2014.

St. Olaf's two MIAC victories this season have both come against teams currently tied for first place in the conference standings (Bethel and St. Kate's). After Saturday's games, there is a five-way tie for first place with two other teams just one game back.

The Oles led for 34:31 in the victory and trailed for just 3:23, including not trailing after the 6:38 mark of the opening quarter. St. Olaf held a commanding 49-27 advantage in rebounding and outscored Bethel by a 36-22 margin in points in the paint.

Kelly provided the bulk of the offense for the Oles, shooting 10-for-17 from the field on the way to her second double-double of the season. In addition to recording 21 points and 11 rebounds, the senior also contributed four assists, three blocked shots, and two steals. Fellow senior Grace Hegland narrowly missed out on a double-double of her own with 11 points, nine rebounds, three assists, three steals, and two blocked shots.

St. Olaf shot just 34.6 percent (18-for-52) from the field, including going 0-for-7 from behind the arc, and committed 25 turnovers but held Bethel to season lows in points (42) and field-goal percentage (25.0).

The Royals hit their first two three-pointers of the game to get out to a quick 6-2 lead in the first 1:37, but the Oles held the hosts scoreless for the next 5:07 as part of a 10-0 run to take a lead they would hold the rest of the game. Kelly and Hegland scored all 10 points during the run, as St. Olaf took a 14-10 lead into the second quarter.

In the second quarter, the Oles limited the Royals to 3-for-17 (17.6 percent) shooting to take a 25-16 lead at the half. Kelly scored eight of St. Olaf's 11 points in the quarter, as the Oles turned the ball over 10 times in the quarter but did not allow the hosts to score any points off the miscues. St. Olaf shot 45.8 percent (11-for-24) in the opening half compared to 20.0 percent (6-for-30) for Bethel.

The Oles led by at least nine points for the entire third quarter and extended their lead to 16, 38-22, with 3:05 to go in the quarter on a bucket in the paint by Kelly. Facing their largest deficit of the game, the Royals closed the quarter on a 6-0 run to cut St. Olaf's lead to 38-28 going into the fourth quarter.

Bethel held St. Olaf without a field goal for the first 7:03 of the fourth quarter during a 10-2 run to get within two at 40-38 with 3:18 remaining. Senior Sophie Olmen snapped the drought with a layup with 2:57 to go – the Oles' lone field goal of the quarter – and hit a pair of clutch free throws with 1:30 remaining to push St. Olaf's lead to six at 44-38 and help the Oles hold on for the win.

St. Olaf plays its first home game in over a month when crosstown-rival Carleton College visits Skoglund Center for a 7 p.m. tip-off on Wednesday, Jan. 11.