Notables
-Bethany Lutheran's victory extends its winning streak to four
-CSS' Walther scores 11 of her 15 points in the fourth quarter
-BLC's Frederick had 11 steals on the night
-Bench Points: CSS-13, BLC-2
DULUTH, Minn - The St. Scholastica women's basketball team lost to Bethany Lutheran College 69-64 on Friday night at the Reif Gym, despite a rally in the fourth quarter.
Vikings Take Control Early
After an initial lead by the Saints, the Vikings rallied past them early in the first period and kept control for the remainder of the game. Eight unanswered points by the Vikings in the second period put them ahead of St. Scholastica by 16 points and made it difficult for CSS to close the gap. With just under two minutes left in the first half, the Saints rallied behind two consecutive 3-pointers from Emelia Miner (Hutchinson, Minn./Hutchinson HS), followed by a pair of successful free throws by Rachel Weyenberg (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East HS).
Momentum Not Enough for the Saints
The Saints came out strong at the start of the third period, but the Vikings battled just as hard and kept St. Scholastica from gaining any ground until the last few minutes of the game. A successful fast break by Michala Walther (Roseville, Minn./Concordia Academy) got the momentum going again for the Saints and they closed the gap to within two, but the Vikings didn't let up. Two free throws by Bethany's Minnie Frederick put the Saints behind by four points with 11 seconds left in the game. Another successful free throw by Frederick with two seconds left sealed the deal for a 69-64 Vikings victory.
Team Stats
The Vikings outscored the Saints in the paint 48-38 and shot a field goal percentage of 52.8 percent. St. Scholastica shot 43.6 percent from the field, and its bench scored 13 points to Bethany's two.
Top Performances for CSS
Michala Walther (Roseville, Minn./Concordia Academy) was the Saints' leading scorer, collecting 15 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter alone. Walther and Holly VanKempen (Elbow Lake, Minn./West Central HS) had seven rebounds each.
Top Performances for Bethany Lutheran
Minnie Frederick scored 16 points for the Vikings, with nine of them in the first period alone. Briana Brandts was also a key part of the game with 16 points of her own, and 11 of Bethany's 25 rebounds.
Up Next
St. Scholastica (6-11, 4-5 UMAC) takes on Martin Luther College on Saturday at home. Tip off is at 5 p.m in the Reif Gymnasium. The action can be seen live on Saints Sports Net.
