SUPERIOR, Wis. – Bethany Lutheran shot better than 55 percent in the second half to erase a halftime deficit an take a 68-52 decision from the UW-Superior women's basketball team in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference opener for both at Mertz Mortorelli Gymnasium on Friday.
 
The Vikings (6-2, 1-0 UMAC) doubled up the Yellowjackets (1-8, 0-1) in the second half, outscoring the hosts 42-24 after UWS held a slim 28-26 margin at the break.
 
Sophomore Paige Servais (Savage, Minn./Burnsville) scored a team-best 13 points and freshman Allison Luoma (Iron River, Wis./Northwestern) added 10 to lead Superior, which was a game opponent for the Bethany Lutheran. The Vikings, though, received a game-high 26 points from Hanna Geistfield with 15 coming in the second half, to buoy the comeback.
 
Superior held a 15-14 advantage after the first quarter and claimed the two-point margin going into the halftime locker room.
 
BLC used 19-10 third quarter to take the lead, but the Yellowjackets didn't go away. Servais hit a jumper off of a pass from Allie Zimmer (Waconia, Minn./Waconia) with 4:43 remaining that cut the lead to 55-49, before the Vikings scored seven consecutive points to provide themselves a cushion.
 
Junior Kaelyn Christian (St. Michael, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville Senior) tallied nine points for UWS, which shot nearly 38 percent for the game. 
 
Bethany connected on 45 percent of its attempts from the floor and drained 17-o-19 from the foul line in the win, its sixth straight against UWS.
 
The Vikings won the rebounding battle, 42-28, and outscored the 'Jackets in the paint, 38-24.
 
UWS returns to action Saturday at 3 p.m., to host Martin Luther.