SUPERIOR, Wis. – Bethany Lutheran shot nearly 54 percent from the field and had four players score in double figures to earn a 79-60 road victory over the UW-Superior women's basketball team at Mertz Mortorelli Gym Saturday.
The Vikings (2-0, 2-0 UMAC) started fast, scoring nine of the game's first 11 points, and didn't look back. BLC led 25-15 after one quarter and 40-27 at the half only to extend its advantage in the second half. The visitor missed just 10 of 25 shots from the floor in the second half, shooting 60 percent.
Abby Olson had game highs of 25 points, fours assists and three steals to pace the Vikings offense. Hanna Geistfeld added 14 points while leading all players with eight rebounds. Laura Ellinghuysen chipped in with 11 and Sara Kottke had 10 off the bench.
Freshman forward
Bryton Kukowski (Duluth, Minn./Hermantown) drew her first collegiate start and led the Yellowjackets with 10 points, also grabbing three rebounds and one steal.
Ellie Leadstrom (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior),
Kaija Davies (Aitkin, Minn./Aitkin) and
Mady Sanders (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial) each led the team with five boards apiece.
UWS, which fell to 2-2 overall and 1-2 in the UMAC with the loss, was only able to get the Bethany Lutheran lead under 10 points a handful of times early in the third quarter. Kukowski converted a layup, assisted by Leadstrom, to make it a 40-31 game one minute in the second half before Kukowski hit a jumper a minute later on a feed from Sanders for a 42-33 deficit a minute later. Kukowski then drained a pair of free throws at the 7:13 mark to make it 44-35.
Kukowski stripped Olson of the ball on the next possession giving the 'Jackets a chance to get closer, but
Kaelyn Christian (St. Michael, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville Senior) missed the ensuring layup, and Geistfeld collected the rebound, finishing on the other end.
The lead grew to 16 heading to the fourth quarter and to as many as 25 with two-and-a-half minutes remaining on an Elenor Escuder Gonzalez bucket and the Vikings coasted the rest of the way.
UWS returns to action Tuesday against Finlandia at 7 p.m.
