St. Thomas women’s basketball defeated the Bethel University Royals 77-43 Wednesday in their home opener at Lee and Penny Anderson Arena.
The decisive victory over the Division III Royals (0-1) showcased the Tommies’ (1-1) potential as they begin their season hungry for a Summit League championship. The Tommies came fresh off a loss to the Division I University of Northern Iowa in their season opener Monday but displayed their resilience by dominating the Royals.
The Tommies established their defensive dominance early in the game and kept it going throughout as they forced the Royals to shoot just 25% from the field and created 25 turnovers.
“Defensively, I thought we were solid. We have a lot of things that we can improve on, but I’m really proud of this group. We keep getting better and better,” St. Thomas coach Mandy Pearson said.
Pearson’s defensive model is grounded on strong communication and teamwork, but, when one of those elements broke down, the team struggled. In the second and fourth quarters, the Tommies gave up 15 and 16 points to the Royals, respectively, compared to 4 and 8 points during the first and third quarters.
Junior guard Mikayla Werner, who recorded a double-double Wednesday with 13 points and 13 rebounds, said that the team’s success is dependent on player communication.
“You can tell on the possessions when we don’t communicate,” Werner said. “Our defense struggles at times, and we get lost, so it really is everything. But when we’re on, we’re on, which is really exciting to see.”
Tommie first-year guard Maya Kovacic shot 5-6 and had a team-high 15 points. She said that the team looks forward to improving its community and teamwork.
“I think as the season goes on, we’re gonna keep building this chemistry and keep talking more, and I’m excited,” Kovacic said.
Werner said that Pearson has facilitated that growth by creating tough drills during practice.
“She definitely pushes us outside of our comfort zone, but that’s where we’re gonna get better,” Werner said.
Pearson’s focus on player development is something that could make the team dangerous later in the season as they look to rise above their projected fourth-place finish in the Summit League.
“I think we’re going to enter every single game with one goal in mind, and that’s how we get better. And that’s a focus every single day,” Pearson said.
The Tommies will face off against the St. Catherine University Wildcats at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 10, at Lee and Penny Anderson Arena.
Jackson Geibig can be reached at geib3470@stthomas.edu.
