ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Bethany Lutheran women's basketball team played three close quarters with Hamline on Saturday afternoon but a third quarter that saw them outscored by 18 points proved to be their demise as they fell 80-61. With the loss the Vikings fall to 1-9 overall while the Pipers move to 6-3.
After a slow start from the Bethany offense in this one,
Aubrea Kor would connect from long range with 3:30 to go in the first frame to cut the Hamline lead to 11-9. The two teams would then trade buckets down the stretch of the first, with
Amelia Walker sinking a pair of free throws with three seconds left to cut the deficit to one, but a heave from beyond half court found the bottom of the net at the buzzer for the Pipers to make it 22-18 after 10 minutes.
Four points from Walker to open the second would start an 8-4 run for the Vikings capped off by a Kor finish inside as the Vikings would even the score at 26 four minutes in. Hamline would slowly work their lead to six points, but back-to-back and-one's from
Lexiss Trygg and
Kenadi Arndt with a Hamline layup in between would pull the deficit to 36-35. Each team would then make a pair of free throws in the final minute as the Pipers held a 38-37 lead at the break.
Hamline would score the first four points of the third before Trygg would match that number to bring the score to 42-41. The Pipers would take control of the contest from there though, as they would mount a 22-2 run and would hold a 64-43 lead with just 1:20 to play in the third. After Hamline led 66-44, Bethany would end the quarter with three straight free throws as they went to the fourth trailing by 19.
The Pipers would stretch their lead all the way to 25 points with 6:35 to go in the fourth, before an Arndt putback would spell the run. With Hamline leading by 25 a few minutes later, back-to-back Viking threes followed by a Walker free throw would bring the deficit to 18 but that was as close as they would get as they fell 80-61.
The Vikings will be back in action after Christmas break, when they take on Gustavus on December 30th in St. Peter at 7 p.m.
