NEW ULM, Minn. – The Bethany Lutheran women's basketball team (4-1 overall, 4-1 UMAC) defeated Martin Luther (2-9, 1-5) 95-76 Thursday evening.
 
Senior Abby Olson (Montevideo, Minn.) became the program's career leader in three-point field goals on her trey with 7:44 to play in the third quarter. She surpassed the 180 set by Jade Pelzl from 2011-14, and now has 183 to date. Olson also finished a perfect nine-for-nine at the free throw line to add her name to this single game mark once more.
 
Classmate Hanna Geistfeld (Truman, Minn.) recorded her third-straight double double with 34 points and 15 rebounds. She finished three points shy of her career best and tied her mark in rebounds. She previously accomplished 15 boards against Central on Nov. 22, 2019.
 
Sophomore Ashley Schindele (Kimball, Minn.) scored a career-high 13 points to complete those in double figures for the Vikings.
 
Bethany built a nine-point lead in the first three and a half minutes in the contest. The Knights answered and whittled it to a one-point game on a triple with 2:49 to go. BLC responded with an 11-0 run that was capped off by back-to-back three's from freshman Sara Kottke (Buffalo Lake, Minn.) and Geistfeld, which to push the margin back into double digits.
 
The Knights cut it to eight early in the second quarter, but the Vikings moved the margin into double figures once more on a free throw by senior Natasha Young (Nicollet, Minn.) and consecutive baskets from Geistfeld.
 
BLC later led 40-27 at halftime, and continued to lead by double digits for the duration of the game.
 
The Vikings owned the team advantages in both field goal percentages, rebounds, assists, and blocks.
 
Bethany returns to the court Saturday when it travels to face St. Scholastica at 3 p.m.