ST. BONIFACIOUS, Minn. - After a pair of close losses to open the UMAC season, the Bethany Lutheran women's basketball team would pick up their first conference win on Wednesday night with a decisive 62-30 win at Crown. With the win the VIkings improve to 2-12 on the season and 1-2 in the UMAC, while the Polars fall to 2-12 overall and 1-2 in conference play. 

It was a slow start for both offenses in this one, but back-to-back baskets from the Vikings midway through the first quarter of play would push them out to a 6-1 lead. Gianna Klarenbeek would net her second bucket of the game just a few minutes later, before Kenadi Arndt put in a pair of shots from the charity stripe to put the Vikings up 10-1. Crown would answer the free throws with a bucket inside, but that was their only field goal of the quarter as Bethany would add three more points to lead 13-3 after one. 

After each team found the bottom of the net early in the second, Bethany would mount a massive run over the next six minutes to start to run away with it. They would put together 19 straight points with six different Vikings finding the bottom of the net during the stretch. Arinn McGee played strong during the run, posting six points, three rebounds, and a block during the stretch to make a difference in the paint for Bethany. Crown would put points on the board late, but Arndt's third basket of the quarter with under 20 seconds to play would help the Vikings hold a 36-8 lead at the half.

The Vikings got out to a slow start in the third quarter, as Crown would go on a 10-2 run over the first five minutes of the quarter to bring the deficit to 20 at 28-18. Bethany would respond in a big way over the final five minutes though, holding the Polars to 0-of-4 shooting from the field over the final five minutes, forcing six turnovers, and scoring the quarters final eight points to take a 46-18 lead into the fourth. 

Bethany would get a few early baskets in the fourth to push their lead to 33 points at 51-18 and would cruise to victory from there. Alba Fernandez put the finishing touches on the contest as she scored a pair of late baskets that would bring the game to its final tally of 62-30. 

Arndt led Bethany in this one with 12 points to go along with six rebounds. McGee and Lexiss Trygg were also strong inside for Bethany, each notching eight points in the contest to go along with two blocks. 

The Vikings will be back in action next on Saturday when they host Northland for Alumni Day with the contest beginning at 2:45 p.m.