ARDEN HILLS – The Bethel University Royals women’s basketball team finished its regular season 21-4 overall – its first 20-win season since 2019-20. With a Bethel win in the MIAC playoff championship that season, it was the last time anyone other than the Gustavus Adolphus College Gusties was crowned MIAC champions.
The one-seeded Royals handled the fourth-seeded College of St. Benedict Bennies with ease in Thursday night’s semi-final matchup, 79-50, and two-seeded Gustavus did the same to three-seeded Hamline University, 71-35.
That meant, for the third time this season, the Royals and Gusties duked it out with the top of the MIAC on the line Saturday afternoon.
As the No. 6 ranked team in the National Power Index (NPI) and the reigning MIAC champions three years in a row, Gustavus, the favorite, traveled to Arden Hills to play Bethel, the No. 15 ranked NPI team.
Bethel’s Robertson Center gym filled with Royals and Gusties fans alike. As Gustavus took the court for its warmups, members of Bethel’s student section, decked out in white face-paint and gaudy white outfits, rained boos onto the court.
Royals’ forward Elly Schmitz won the tip to the raucous applause of Bethel fans and proceeded to score a layup on Bethel’s first possession. Gustavus forward Morgan Kelly committed an illegal screen on the Gusties’ first possession to even more cheers from Bethel and was immediately subbed out.
The Gusties tied it up with early free throws before Bethel took the lead again on another layup by fifth-year guard Anna Garfield.
That was the last lead the Royals would hold the rest of the game.
From there the Gusties went on a 15-6 run to end the first quarter up by a score of 17-10. Bethel missed three of its five free throws in the quarter while Gustavus consistently knocked down open mid-range looks.
As the Royals looked to give the ball inside to Schmitz, their leading scorer this season, Gustavus came with double-teams each time, forcing Schmitz to either force up awkward shots or kick out, where other Gusties were waiting. Schmitz managed 12 points Saturday, down from her average of 14.2, and half of those came from two made three-pointers.
Bethel’s other main scorer in the paint, sophomore Emily Erickson, didn’t benefit from Gustavus’ stifling defense, either. She went 1-3 from the floor and scored just six points.
Rebounds were a key issue for the Royals throughout the game. In the first quarter, they were outrebounded 10-3, and all three of Gustavus’ offensive rebounds came on one possession near the end of the quarter.
At 0:42, Gustavus guard Sydney Hauger missed a three-point attempt as the shot clock expired.
Gustie guard Emma Kniefel grabbed the rebound and kicked it to guard Kylie Baranick, who missed her own three-point attempt.
Baranick found her own rebound, however, and the ball made its way to Kelly, who missed a mid-range jumper with six seconds remaining.
Finally, Gustavus forward Rachel Kawiecki grabbed the offensive rebound and was fouled going up for the put-back as the clock showed zero seconds. She missed the first free throw before putting in the second, and the teams headed to their benches.
“We don’t have the heart and toughness to get a board in the conference championship,” Bethel head coach Jon Herbrechtsmeyer said to his team in the huddle. “Let’s not be that team.”
Gustavus outscored Bethel 18-11 in the second quarter to take a 35-21 lead into halftime. At that point, just three players — Garfield, Erickson and Schmitz —had scored points for the Royals. Gustavus outrebounded Bethel 17-7 in the first half.
While Bethel committed one fewer turnover than Gustavus, the Gusties scored 10 points off Bethel turnovers, while Bethel had zero.
The gym’s energy had died significantly by the time the third quarter started. Even as junior guard Alli Born nailed a three-pointer to cut the lead to 10 with 6 minutes left in the quarter, Bethel struggled to contain Gustavus’ offense. The Gusties continued to find open mid-range looks and capitalize on them.
Bethel’s shooting percentage went up during the quarter, and the Royals even outscored Gustavus by one, but seven Bethel turnovers kept the Royals at bay.
A new energy came over the gym in the fourth quarter. With just ten minutes left, the Royals found the fight to stay alive in the game.
After both teams traded turnovers, Bethel guard Rosie Penke cashed a three from the top of the key, and the Gusties’ lead fell to 10. The next possession, point guard Colette Duininck hit a three of her own, and the Gustavus lead was just seven.
The Robertson Center gym came to life. Each team traded layups and free throws until Penke, who finished with a season-high 12 points, hit another three with just under four minutes to play. 59-53, Gustavus.
But that was the last point the Royals would score. Seven more turnovers in the fourth quarter piled up, and Gustavus finished the game on a 7-0 run.
For the fourth year in a row, the Gustavus Adolphus College Gusties became MIAC playoff champions.
This may not be the last game for the Royals, however. With such a high NPI rating, Bethel will likely receive an at-large bid to the NCAA playoff tournament, although hopes of hosting that game are certainly damaged.
Even with this most recent loss to the Gusties, it was the Royals’ Jan. 18 win at Gustavus that propelled them so high into the NPI rankings and gave them a shot to continue their season – something they’ve aimed to do since October.
The Royals fate will be determined during the NCAA selection show, which will begin at 1:30 p.m. Monday.
