ST. PAUL, Minn. — St. Catherine battled early but Bethel used a strong second half to pull away for an 88-56 MIAC win Saturday afternoon at the Robertson Center.

The Wildcats opened the game with energy and kept pace through the first quarter, trailing just 21-20 after ten minutes. Early buckets from Hattie Fox, Kate Flicek, and Jordyn Peed helped St. Catherine match Bethel possession-for-possession, while Lily Peper controlled the glass during the opening stretch.

Bethel gained separation in the second quarter, outscoring the Wildcats 21-10 to take a 42-30 lead into halftime. The Royals capitalized on turnovers and perimeter shooting to build momentum, while St. Catherine worked to generate offense inside.

The Royals extended the lead in the third quarter, using a 26-9 frame to create distance. Bethel's Emily Erickson led the surge with 24 points, including key baskets during a decisive run that pushed the margin past twenty.

St. Catherine continued to compete throughout the fourth quarter, highlighted by interior scoring from Peper and Peed and late contributions from Madalena Nguyen and Olivia Gannon, but Bethel closed out the conference matchup.

Peed paced the Wildcats with 13 points and three steals, while Flicek added nine points on efficient shooting. Peper contributed eight points and a team-high eight rebounds, helping St. Catherine match Bethel on the glass (38-38). Nguyen added seven points off the bench and Elle Covey chipped in six, including the Wildcats' lone three-pointer.

Bethel finished with nine made three-pointers and 27 free throws, turning 23 St. Catherine turnovers into 29 points to secure the win.

St. Catherine closes the season at 11-14 overall (6-12 MIAC).