Box Score MANKATO, Minn. (csssaints.com) - The St. Scholastica women's basketball team battled to the last seconds for a close 68-66 win against Bethany Lutheran College Friday night for its seventh straight victory.

The first minutes set the tide for the whole game as both teams fought to take the lead from the other.  Off a 3-pointer by Kelsey Sorenson-Giffrow (Braham, Minn./Braham HS (Minn. Duluth)) at the 17:13 mark, the Saints took a stride ahead of the Vikings.

Bethany Lutheran tied the game back up five minutes in. The lead switched a couple more times until Sammy Doucette (Colfax, Wis./Colfax HS (UW-River Falls)) put the Saints ahead by two once again with 11:01 on the clock.

The Saints built their lead up six points, but the Vikings fought neck-in-neck to stay in the game. The lead switched three more times with Bethany Lutheran coming out ahead 32-29 in the final minutes of the half. There would be a total of seven lead changes in the half.

Erin Frase (Phillips, Wis./Phillips HS (UW-River Falls)) led the Saints with nine points followed by Sorenson with five. The Vikings were led by Angie Scheffler and Jade Pelzl with eight points each. Both teams struggled to get a shot outside the arc to sink with the Saints ending the half at 1-for-10 and the Vikings at 1-for-8.

The second half continued with much of the same as neither team would lead by more than six points. After the ninth tie of the game with 11:30 remaining, the Vikings went on a 9-2 run to take a 56-61 lead.

However, the Saints responded in a big way with a 12-1 run to take a 63-57 lead with 4:16 left. The Vikings worked the margin down to two in the final moments. Scheffler had a chance to tie up the score for the Vikings in the final seconds but Danica Schellbach (Rush City, Minn./Rush City HS) blocked the shot to preserve the 68-66 victory.

Frase lit up the field with a career-high 26 points followed by Mariah Hovick (Prior Lake, Minn./Prior Lake HS) with 14 after a strong second half. Sorenson chipped in 13 of her own, as well. Jordan Feis came off the bench to score 19 for the Vikings (6-14, 3-6 UMAC).

Both teams made only three 3-pointers on the night. The Saints shot 44 percent from the field, but were a crucial 13-of-15 from the free throw line. 

The Saints (13-7, 8-1 UMAC) tip-off next at 3 p.m. tomorrow in New Ulm against Martin Luther College.