University of St. Thomas Athletics
1-1,0-0Summit League
Bethel
0-0,0-0MIAC
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bethel (MN) | 4 | 15 | 8 | 16 | 43 |
| St. Thomas (MN) | 19 | 26 | 13 | 19 | 77 |
11/4/2026 9:31:00 PM | Women's Basketball
ST. PAUL, MINN. — The University of St. Thomas women's basketball team made quite the return to Lee & Penny Anderson Arena. The Tommies defeated Bethel University 77-43 Wednesday evening, first wins of Mandy career as the program's head coach. St. Thomas used an 18-0 run spanning the second and third quarters to secure its first win of the season, improving to 1-1 in 2026-27.
QUICK HITS:
- As mentioned, the win was Pearson's first as the Tommies head coach and 311th of her career. She also improved to 19-10 all-time against the Royals, who play in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC).
- Maya Kovacic (Brookfield, Wis. / East) put up career numbers in the first start of her collegiate career, scoring 15 points on 5-6 shooting, including a 3-4 mark from beyond the arc.
- Mikayla Werner (Hortonville, Wis. / Hortonville) and Alyssa Sand (Albany, Minn. / Albany) both tallied double-doubles in the home opener. Werner recorded 13 points and 13 rebounds, while Sand put up an 11/11 stat line. Sand also added six steals and two blocks.
SCORING SUMMARY:
First Quarter: After Kenzie Lundeen's layup gave Bethel the first points of the game, the Tommies answered with a 14-0 run, fueled by baskets from nearly every player on the court. Bethel ended its drought on a Lydia Johnson layup at 4:50, but Savannah McGowan's (Plymouth, Minn. / Armstrong) and-one gave St. Thomas the 17-4 advantage. The Tommies held the Royals scoreless the rest of the quarter, and free throws from Werner made it 19-4 after the opening 10 minutes of play.
Second Quarter: St. Thomas continued to push its lead in the second. Four minutes into the quarter, the Tommies led 30-10 with no signs of stopping. However, the Bethel answered with a 9-0 run of its own, cutting the lead to 30-19 with 4:08 to go in the quarter. Kovacic hit a 3-pointer to jumpstart a 15-0 St. Thomas run to finish the quarter, securing a 45-19 halftime lead for the Tommies.
Third Quarter: Again, it was all St. Thomas in the third quarter, as the home team built its lead to 58-27. Defensively, the quarter was highlighted by a last second block by Laura Hauge (Hugo, Minn. / St. Croix Lutheran), and baskets from Jayci Rath (Stewartville, Minn. / Stewartville) helped propel St. Thomas to its 30-point lead.
Fourth Quarter: The Royals worked to whittle the lead to within 30, but the Tommies proved to be too much in the final quarter of play. Addie Schliewe (Sheboygan Falls, Wis. / Sheboygan Falls) and Savanah Gardner (Apple Valley, Minn. / Eastview) added late buckets to secure the 77-43 win.
TOMMIE TIDBITS
- The Tommies held Bethel to 12 made field goals on 48 attempts, including a 1-9 mark from three-point range, while finishing with a 49-30 rebounding advantage. St. Thomas also turned 25 Bethel turnovers into 26 points.
- Three first years made their collegiate debuts on Monday: Voll, Rath, and Kovacic. Voll earned a starting roll, scoring seven points, all in the second half, while Rath added five on 2-3 shooting. Kovacic tallied three rebounds and an assist off the bench.
UP NEXT:
Up next, St. Thomas hosts St. Catherine University on Tuesday, November 10, 2026. Tipoff is scheduled for7:00 p.m. at Lee & Penny Anderson Arena in St. Paul, Minnesota.
