Made the trek down to St. Peter on this Tuesday evening to take in one of the MIAC Playoff Quarterfinal games - this one between 5th seeded Bethel and the host 4th seed Gustavus. This was really anybody's game and despite the fact that GAC swept Bethel during the regular season, I gave the edge to Bethel going into this one as they were coming in with a lot of momentum and GAC has an unfortunate history of choking in the MIAC playoffs (especially recently). Moreover, this wasn't unchartered waters for Bethel either as they came into St. Peter in a similar situation two years ago and knocked off the Gusties.
The first eight minutes or so would be very close; very tight with neither side being able to gain a real advantage. Sophomore post Scotti Moats got the Royals on the board first at the 19:30 mark by snaring a rebound and kissing the putback off the glass. Gustie sophomore Kelsey Florian got a steal and finished with an easy lay-up at the 18:14 mark to tie the issue. Then, Bethel junior Taylor Sheley, offering a preview of things to come later on, drained a "3" at the 17:57 mark which had a quick response from Gustie junior sensation Molly Geske as she did likewise at the 17:38 mark which tied things at 5-all and showed how even these two teams really are.
It wasn't until the 12:57 mark when Royal sophomore Kelly Swenson connected with a jumper to give Bethel a 9-7 lead that the visitors were able to gain some foothold in this contest. Thanks to free throws by both Moats and Sheley, Bethel was able to expand on the lead by a count of 12-7 by the 11:48 mark but holding it proved to be another matter. After GAC sophomore Steph Comer and Bethel freshman Micealla Petrich traded scores from three-point land, Geske scored at the 10:20 mark to narrow the Royal lead to 15-12. Then, lanky 6'2" sophomore post Abby Rothenbuehler, who is gaining more confidence with each game, scored at the 8:39 mark on a pretty-looking left-handed hook shot that cut the Bethel lead to one point at 15-14. A few minutes later, GAC was finally able to take the lead as former Miss North Dakota Basketball and now Gustie freshman Eli Benz knocked down a "3" from the right corner to make the score 19-17 in favor of the home team. The Gusties would then gradually build the lead to as many as six points on three separate occasions coming down the stretch in the first half. At the 1:43 mark, senior post Molly Mathiowetz was able to help bulge the Gustie lead to 11 by grabbing a rebound and finishing with a putback that gave GAC a seemingly-comfortable 32-23 lead going into the locker room at intermission.
Bethel coach Jon Herbrechtsmeyer knew someone on his squad would have to have the hot hand in the second half if they were going to get back into this game. And that hot hand would come in the form of the pretty 5'9" junior guard hailing from Backus - Sheley. Still, GAC was able to maintain the eleven point advantage thanks to some fine work by the experienced Mathiowetz early on in the second half. But Sheley was able to swipe away some of that advantage when she drained a "3" from the top at the 16:35 mark to cut the GAC lead to 36-28. A couple of minutes later, Royal senior Shana Grejtak got her team closer as she sank two freebies from the charity stripe to cut GAC's lead to 38-31. At the 12:39 mark, Moats was able to connect with a jumper off the glass that trimmed GAC's margin to 40-35. Perhaps even more importantly, Bethel had avoided hitting the proverbial panic button being down by double digits at the half on the road no less - and avoided going for the "home-run complex"; knowing that there was still a second half of ball to play.
Oh yeah, Sheley. She was just getting started. She nailed another "3" from the top at the 11:44 mark that got the Royals to within four at 42-38. The Royals would need her now as the Gusties proceeded to make a push of their own that got the lead back up to 10 thanks to both Mathiowetz and Rothenbuehler. Even more disconcerting for Bethel, foul-prone Grejtak managed to pick up her fourth foul and a few seconds later Geske connected with a jumper that gave GAC a 51-39 lead and threatened to put the Royals behind the 8-ball. Once again, however, Bethel refused to panic. Grejtak again put down two freebies from the charity stripe at the 8:06 mark. After Benz scored and was fouled and followed that up with the obligatory free throw that once again gave GAC an eleven-point cushion, Sheley took her cue to catch fire. She connected with a mid-range jumper at the 6:57 mark that got the Royals to within ten. Then, at the 5:43 mark she connected with yet another "3" from the top of the key to cut the Gustie lead to 55-48 and followed that up a little more than a minute later with another score. At the 4:17 mark, Sheley again made the cotton sing from three-point land - and cut GAC's lead to 58-53. Then it was Grejtak's turn at the 2:51 mark as she scored on a lay-up and was fouled in the process. The ensuing FT by Grejtak cut the GAC lead to 58-56. At the 2:07 mark, Sheley brought her team all the way back when she tied the game at 58-all with a lay-up.
But just when you thought Sheley and her Bethel teammates might be able to steal the show it was now GAC's turn to somehow find a way to not panic. On the ensuing possession, the Gusties calmly brought the ball down the floor and Benz found an opening in the Royal defense that allowed her to drive and connect with a lay-up at the 1:47 mark that put the Gusties back out front for good at 60-58. Sheley, perhaps trying to do too much, committed a turnover that gave the ball back to the Gusties and this time Geske showed why she's one of the top players in the conference as she hit a short jumper that made it 62-58 GAC at the 1:03 mark. Yet another turnover by the Royals on the following possession gave the Gusties a chance to up the ante which is exactly what they did thanks to junior guard Colleen Ruane as she sank two FTs at the :36 mark and a 64-58 lead. Still, Sheley had one more encore performance left in her as she and her team would not quit. She hit one more "3" from the left corner at the :22.7 mark and despite the fact that Grejtak was able to connect with two more FTs before the horn, the Gusties were able to ice this one away at the charity stripe and hung on for an incredibly tough 67-63 win. Definitely a great game to watch!
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