ARDEN HILLS, Minn. – Senior guard
Peyton Starks (St. Louis, Mo./John Burroughs School) tallied a game-high 19 points, as the Macalester College women's basketball team fell to Bethel University, 70-53 in a MIAC game Saturday afternoon in the Robertson Center. The loss gives the Scots a 7-6 record overall, including a 2-4 mark in the conference play. The Royals (10-3) remain unbeaten in the MIAC at 6-0.
Macalester led for most of the first quarter, using seven straight points to take a 15-9 edge. Starks and sophomore guard
Mary Daley (Cumberland, R.I./Bishop Feehan) had baskets in the run, with senior forward
Katherine Norquist (Chicago, Ill./Walter Payton College Prep) adding three points. Bethel ended the quarter on a 5-0 run to make the score 15-14 Scots after 10 minutes. The second quarter was owned by Bethel, with the Royals reeling off a 14-1 run over the first 4:32 to take a 28-16 lead. The score was 34-24 when senior guard
Jessica Sabbagh (Eau Claire, Wis./Regis) grabbed an offensive rebound and scored before the buzzer to make the halftime score 34-26 Bethel. Macalester was held to 4-of-16 shooting from the field in the second quarter.
In the third quarter the Scots were sparked by baskets from Daley and first year guard
Samantha Smith (Piedmont, Calif./Piedmont) to cut the deficit to five, 37-32 with 5:23 on the clock. The Royals pushed the lead up to 11, only to have Macalester close the quarter on a 6-3 run to make the score 49-41 Bethel heading into the final quarter. The Scots stayed with the first-place Royals for most of the fourth quarter, with two baskets from sophomore guard
Sydney Smith (Gainesville, Va./Patriot) helping to bring her team to within seven, 56-49 with four minutes left. But Bethel closed out the game with a 14-4 run for a 70-53 victory. Bethel scored 25 points off 21 Macalester turnovers for the game.
Starks was 9-of-17 from the field while dishing out five assists to lead the Scots. Norquist finished with 11 points, eight boards and four assists, with Sydney Smith adding 10 points, four rebounds and two steals. Anna Garfield registered 13 points and 11 rebounds to pace Bethel.
Macalester continues MIAC play with a game at St. Catherine University on Wednesday, Jan. 15. The game starts at 7:00 p.m. in St. Paul, Minn.
