NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The St. Olaf College women's basketball team trailed No. 21-ranked Bethel University by just three points at halftime before the Royals pulled away for a 76-50 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) victory on Wednesday night at Skoglund Center.

St. Olaf (5-9, 0-7 MIAC) held Bethel (11-3, 6-1 MIAC) to 29 points on 29.0 percent (9-for-31) shooting in the opening half to trail by just three before the Royals shot 62.1 percent (18-for-29) in a 47-point second half. Bethel was ranked No. 21 in this week's D3hoops.com Women's Top 25 poll.

Sophomore Elise Hahn led the Oles with 14 points and 10 rebounds for her seventh double-double of the season, shooting 5-for-10 from the field and 4-for-5 at the free-throw line. First year Erin Schauer knocked down all six of her free throws to finish with 10 points, while juniors Joy Brandenstein and Bree Wilkerson had eight points apiece. Wilkerson also grabbed a season-high-tying nine rebounds.

Emily Erickson led four Royals in double figures with 19 points on 7-for-13 shooting. Alaina Bonacquista was 5-for-5 from the field to add 12 points off the bench, while Cally Peterson (11) and Colette Duininck (10) were also in double digits. Duininck handed out eight assists for Bethel, which held advantages of 42-22 in points in the paint and 29-4 in points off turnovers.

Hahn scored St. Olaf's first nine points over the first seven-plus minutes before a Wilkerson free throw made it 12-10 in favor of the Royals eight minutes in. A layup by sophomore Glory Johanson with 10 seconds left in the quarter kept the Oles within two before Macey Littlefield answered with a layup at the buzzer to give the Royals an 18-14 lead after one.

Brandenstein's second three-pointer of the second quarter made it a one-point game with 3:13 to go and Johanson hit a pair of free throws in the final minute to send the Oles into the halftime break down just 29-26. St. Olaf held Bethel to 3-for-15 (20.0 percent) shooting in the second quarter.

Bethel started the third quarter on a 9-0 run over the first 2:32 to build a 38-26 lead before Wilkerson and Schauer hit consecutive layups to get St. Olaf back within single digits. The Royals responded with another 9-0 run to open up a 47-30 lead midway through the quarter and led by at least 14 the rest of the way.

The Oles will visit St. Paul to face Hamline University in a 1 p.m. tip-off on Saturday, Jan. 17.