NORTHFIELD, Minn. - The St. Olaf College women's basketball team closed its 2023-24 campaign with a 63-38 loss to Bethel University on Senior Day on Saturday at Skoglund Center.
 
Elly Schmitz and Anna Garfield scored 19 points apiece to lead Bethel (15-10, 13-7 MIAC), which had already secured a spot in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Playoffs, to a win in its regular-season finale. Juniors Sarah Tangen and Ziling Zhen had eight points apiece for St. Olaf (4-20, 3-17 MIAC).
 
Before the game, the Oles celebrated Cayden Botten - the lone senior on this season's roster - and her family on the court prior to the final game of Botten's collegiate career.
 
Bethel scored on the opening possession of the game 12 seconds in on a layup by Garfield and led for the remainder of the contest. Garfield was 8-for-14 from the field, while Schmitz knocked down 9-of-17 shots as the duo combined for 38 of the Royals' 63 points. The trio of Garfield, Schmitz, and Colette Duininck - who had 14 points for the visitors - account for 52 of Bethel's 63 points on the afternoon.
 
The Royals shot 45.6 percent (26-for-57) from the field, while limiting the Oles to 32.6 percent (15-for-46) overall, and forced 27 turnovers in the game. Bethel doubled up St. Olaf by a 44-22 margin in points in the paint.
 
The Oles are slated to return 11 of the 12 members of this season's team, which included six first years, in 2024-25.