WINONA, Minn. —
Jessica Thone (Woodbury, Minn.) wasn't attending Saint Mary's University a year ago, when the Cardinal women's basketball team went into double-overtime before beating Bethel 73-69.
Yet, with 18 seconds remaining in regulation, it appeared that Thone would get that type OT experience on Saturday, as the teams were headed in that direction again.
Thone, however, had other ideas, as the freshman forward drilled a 3-pointer to snap a 55-55 tie and lift the Cardinals to a 58-55 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference victory over Bethel at the SMU Gym.
The Cardinals played from out front for most of the first half, building leads of four on two separate occasions, before the Royals scored nine of the final 13 points to take a 26-25 lead into the locker room at the break.
It was more of the same in the second half, as neither team led by more than five. SMU held a three-point, 54-51 advantage with 41 seconds remaining, but the Royals got a pair of free throws from Taylor Sheley and a layup by Scotti Moats to tie the game 55-55 — and set up Thone's heroics.
Jess Miller (Carver, Minn.) tossed in a game-high 19 points, while
Cherie Kulig (Independence, Wis.) added 17 for the Cardinals, who improved to 1-1 in the MIAC and 2-3 overall. Sheley scored 15 points and Shana Grejtak pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds in the losing effort for Bethel (0-2 MIAC, 0-3 overall).
The Cardinals return to action Monday, playing host to Gustavus in a 7:30 p.m. conference match-up at the SMU Gym.
