MANKATO, Minn. - The Bethany Lutheran women's basketball team earned the No. 3 seed in the UMAC Tournament next week after they defeated North Central 63-43 on Saturday afternoon. With the win the Vikings conclude the regular season at 11-14 overall and 10-4 in the UMAC, while the Rams end their season at 4-21 overall and 3-11 in conference play.
It was a dominant defensive effort for the Vikings, and, after an early bucket from NCU they would embark on a 12-0 run over the next three minutes with all five starters finding the scoring column. NCU would score five points in the next minute, but that would be all they could muster, as the Vikings held them scoreless the final four minutes and added three more points to lead 15-7 after one.
Aubrea Kor would score four early points in the second to help Bethany lead 21-9, before a near four minute scoring drought from both teams put the score at 21-11 with 2:45 to go in the half. Kor and
Lexiss Trygg would each add one more bucket for the Vikings though to cancel out an NCU free throw as the Vikings led 25-12 at the half.
Bethany's offense finally hit its stride in the third quarter as they would go out on a 13-4 run in the first four minutes with Kor adding seven points in the sequence to put the Vikings up 38-16. A pair of threes from NCU would keep them within striking distance, but Bethany would close strong on a 6-1 run to lead 50-25 after three.
The Vikings continued to hold the advantage above 20 points early in the fourth, but a 6-0 run from NCU would bring the lead to 57-41 with two minutes left. Bethany would close out the win though, and it was seniors
Alba Fernandez and
Maria Esteban who put the finishing touches on the game with two points each to bring the game to its final of 63-43.
Kor and Trygg each had big performances for Bethany in the contest as they each had 16 points to go along with seven rebounds and multiple steals.
The Vikings will now enter the UMAC Tournament as the No. 3 seed and head to Northwestern on Wednesday night to take on the Eagles in a 7 p.m. contest.
