Stella Anderson Moye-
The Gus Young Court was filled with fervent fans waiting in anticipation. The Gustavus Women’s Basketball Team came in undefeated, ranked no. 6, against an also-undefeated Bethel University. After a close battle, the Gusties came up just short in this game and suffered their first defeat within the MIAC of the season.
The Gustavus Women’s Basketball Team has consistently swept the MIAC Championship title in 2022, 2023, and 2024, making them an absolute force to be reckoned with. The strong history of excellence and multiple championship titles is enough to scare any team, except seemingly the Bethel Royals. Immediately at the start of the game, Bethel took control of the court and did not relinquish it. Bethel opened with a 3-pointer and continued to build their lead up to 5 points with a brief interruption from the Gusties, who managed to get 2 points. Bethel did not hold back and continued to tally on another 7 points, running the score up to 12-2 with 6:26 left in the first quarter. Gustavus was not ready to let the Royals run off completely however; calling a timeout, and making up 5 points in 4 minutes. Bethel retaliated, rattling off another 5 points to gain a 10-point lead of 17-7. The teams swapped points back and forth, but an error resulted in a foul, enabling the Bethel Royals team to maintain their lead and build it all the way to 11 by the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter seemed to kick-start the Gustie’s engine. The team took every opportunity to score, adding a good 3-pointer and a pair of layups to close the gap to 4 points. Another foul allowed the Bethel Royals to regain ground and rebuild back to a 6-point lead. After finding their momentum, the Bethel Women’s team continued to pull away again in the second quarter. A series of 6 points within a minute shot the score up to 29-18. A few 3-pointers and layups helped the Gusties maintain no more than a 13-point deficit, but was not enough to close the gap in the second quarter. The Bethels were leading the game 37-26.
The first half of the 3rd quarter was a battle of who could be tougher. Neither team was willing to give up ground, a tug-of-war-like give and take of points, trading back and forth for the first seven minutes of the game. The Gusties showcased grit and were working to slowly reel the lead in as close as 8 points. However, in the last 3 minutes of the 3rd quarter, Bethel found a second wind and used it to more than double their lead, shooting up to a whopping 16-point gain on the Gusties. Gustavus continued to grow their own score, speckling the scoreboard with rebounds and layups, but did not put a dent in the ground previously lost. The end of the 3rd quarter closed with Bethel controlling the game 57-40.
The 4th quarter was daunting as the Gusties went into it down 17, with 10 minutes to go. While most mediocre teams may choose to succumb to a game that seems pointless and allow the opponent to run off, the Gustavus Women’s team stood strong. In the last quarter, they redefined passion and faced adversity, gaining ground despite the odds and dampened spirits. The Gusties churned out 3-pointers and good free throws, displaying their ability to play hard through the end of a game. The fourth quarter closed with a Gustavus loss, finishing 72-58.
Throughout the game, Gustavus shot 34.8 percent from the field. Gustavus also earned a 38.9 percent 3-point shooting success rate. The Gusties led over Bethel in steals, going 8-7. Senior Kylie Baranick scored 15 points to lead the team, while 5th-year Izzy Quick was close behind with 14 points. Baranick contributed to her 15-point success with 3 scoring 3-pointers. Quick led the Gusties free throws, scoring 8 of them, and grabbing an additional 8 rebounds.
The Gustavus Women’s Basketball record now stands at an overall 14-1, and 7-1 in the MIAC.
The team hopes to improve that as they go head to head with another MIAC opponent, Hamline, on January 22nd at 7:30 p.m. away in St. Paul. Make sure to tune in and follow the game on the road, and be attentive as the team enters the final month of the season. Go Gusties!