University of St. Thomas Athletics
17-5,13-4MIAC
Bethel
21-1,16-1MIAC
No. 11-ranked Bethel pulls away from Women's Hoops
2/12/2020 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Senior Taite Anderson scored a game-high 24 points and No. 11-ranked Bethel used a 14-3 fourth-quarter run to pull away to a 65-49 road victory over No. 19-ranked St. Thomas in MIAC play Wednesday night at Schoenecker Arena.
The Tommies (17-4 overall, 13-4 MIAC) were officially eliminated from the conference title race after winning the league crown each of the last five seasons.
BU's defensive pressure helped force 28 St. Thomas turnovers, and the Royals turned those next possessions into a 36-11 advantage in points off turnovers.
The Toms' 49 points were the fewest they've scored in games at Schoenecker Arena since January of 2012.
Brynne Rolland scored 13 points and had six boards for the Purple, who had won 10 of their previous 11 games.
Coach Ruth Sinn's team, now 0-3 against Bethel and Augsburg in its 17-win season so far, is tied for third place with Gustavus with three games left in the regular season. St. Thomas plays this Saturday at St. Ben's (3 p.m.) before closing at home next week agaunst St. Olaf and St. Mary's.
Senior Haylee Barker had 14 points and four steals to lead the Royals (21-1, 16-1), who ended a six-game losing streak to the Tommies. Bethel is chasing the program's first MIAC women's hoops championship is 26 season, and has a one-game lead on second-place Augsburg with three games to play.
