DULUTH, Minn. – The Bethany Lutheran women's basketball team (5-1 overall, 5-1 UMAC) compiled a big second half to seal the 71-61 win over St. Scholastica (0-7, 0-6) Saturday.
 
The Saints led 20-11 after the first quarter and 36-23 at halftime. The Vikings began to whittle the lead to start the third quarter as senior Hanna Geistfeld (Truman, Minn.) scored 11 of the 12 points in the 12-2 run to make it 38-36 in favor of the home team with 5:49 to play in the frame.
 
After a CSS layup, Geistfeld made both free throws and senior Abby Olson's (Montevideo, Minn.) triple gave BLC the 41-40 lead with 5:08 left in the third. The lead changed hands twice in the next minute, and was knotted at 45 all with 30 seconds left. Another two free throws from Geistfeld made it 47-45 in Bethany's favor heading into the fourth quarter.
 
St. Scholastica made a jumper 50 seconds into the fourth to tie it at 47-47. Freshman Sara Kottke (Buffalo Lake, Minn.) started the Vikings next run with her layup with 8:17 to go. Geistfeld was the catalyst once again as she scored the next eight points, to give Bethany the 57-50 lead with 4:28 remaining. Junior Laura Ellinghuysen (Winona, Minn.) scored the next four points to push the margin into double digits (61-50) with 3:49 left.
 
The closest CSS was only able to come within seven as BLC made its free throws down the stretch.
 
Geistfeld finished with 33 points, which included 13 free throws. Kottke had a team-best 11 rebounds and senior Natasha Young (Nicollet, Minn.) was the next leading scorer with nine points.
 
Bethany concludes the regular season Monday as it hosts North Central at 7 p.m.