MANKATO, Minn. - The Bethany Lutheran women's basketball team kept pace with No. 12 UW-Eau Claire through the first 10 minutes on Tuesday but the Blugolds would eventually run away with a 79-44 win. With the result the Vikings fall to 1-5 on the year while UWEC moves to 9-1. 

After Eau Claire jumped out to a 9-3 lead to start the game, the Vikings would take their first and only lead of the contest after they went on a 7-0 run capped off by an Alexis Cloyd three-pointer to go up 10-9. The Blugolds would respond with six straight points before a Skylar Cotten three closed out the first quarter to trim the UWEC lead to 15-13 after 10 minutes. 

The second quarter turned the tide of the game though, as Eau Claire would go on a 15-2 run in the middle of the frame and outscored the Vikings 26-12 in total to carry a 41-25 lead into the halftime break.

In the third quarter the Blugolds started off strong again scoring the first five points before Bethany started to rally back. Trailing by 21, Kottke would hit a layup and a three-pointer followed by a Cotten three to cut the deficit down to 13 with five minutes remaining in the third. UWEC would hold the Vikings scoreless the final five minutes though and tack on 14 points of their own to lead 62-35 at the end of three. The Blugolds went on to outscore Bethany 17-9 in the final frame to achieve the victory.

Cotten and Kottke each had 12 points for the Vikings in this one with Cotten also tallying six steals. Taryn Christensen added eight points and six rebounds for Bethany.

The Vikings are back in action on Friday when they host UW-Superior at 7:45 p.m.