ST. PAUL, Minn. - The St. Catherine University (4-6, 1-4 MIAC) basketball team closed out 2019 with a tough battle at home against Bethany Lutheran College (8-2, 2-1 UMAC). The Wildcats fell to the Vikings in the non-conference matchup 84-76 in overtime Tuesday afternoon. St. Catherine carried the lead through the first three quarters with the defending UMAC champions making a come back in the final ten minutes and force overtime. 

Senior Danica Cambrice led the way for St. Catherine adding 21 points and grabbing seven rebounds Tuesday.  The Wildcats leading scorer was 5 for 7 from the line and one block. This season, Cambrice is averaging 16 points per game ranking her No. 4 in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) and No. 5 for rebounds, averaging 7.3 per game. Just behind Cambrice was sophomore Katie Benjamin who contributed 19 points against Bethany Lutheran and added four blocks in the first half stopping multiple three-point opportunities for the Vikings. 

St. Catherine came out hot in the first quarter taking an early 7-0 lead before Bethany Lutheran scored their first basket. Cambrice scored the next four points getting St. Catherine a 9-point lead with five minutes remaining in the quarter. The Vikings rallied back getting within four points headed into the next ten minutes of play. 

The lead remained in favor of the Wildcats throughout the half with both teams putting up 20-points each and going into overtime 34-30.  Rookie Sarah LaVell scored six for St. Catherine draining two three-pointers in the quarter while Cambrice and Benjamin added four points each along with first-year Bree Glynn. 

Coming out of the half, St. Catherine went on another run getting a ten-point lead for their largest gain at 4:25 in the third quarter. After a 22-point third quarter, St. Catherine carried the 58-46 lead with the Vikings trailing by eight with ten minutes to play. 

Bethany Lutheran came out strong in the final quarter of regulation scoring 22-points and holding St. Catherine to just 14. The Vikings took their first lead of the game at 6:22 in the quarter and taking a three-point advantage with seconds remaining on the clock. Cambrice forced overtime with a buzzer-beater three-point basket to knot it up 70-70. 

The Vikings outscored St. Catherine in the five minutes of extra play, 14-6 to close out the game at 84-76. 

St. Catherine returns to Butler Center on Saturday, January 4 hosting MIAC foe Hamline University at 3 pm.