ARDEN HILLS, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict basketball team hung with Bethel in a key MIAC road game Saturday afternoon, but the Royals took advantage of 28 free-throw attempt to beat CSB 75-65 in Arden Hills, Minn.
 
CSB remains in fourth in the MIAC with a 9-4 conference record with the loss. Saint Benedict is 13-8 overall with a handful of games remaining in the regular season. Bethel sits alone in third at 17-4 overall and 12-2 in the MIAC.
 
Bethel took a slim lead early, but Chelsey Guetter, Niki Fokken, Alison Newton and Kate Banovetz all scored to put CSB up six, 13-7, with 3:47 left in the first quarter. Bethel responded with a 12-4 run to end the quarter and take a 19-17 lead into the second. A layup by Dittberner tied the game to start the second, and a three by Newton made it a one-point game with four minutes left in the half, but the Royals maintained their lead and pushed it to five, 37-32, at the break.
 
Saint Benedict made it a two-point game twice early in the third quarter, the second time on a three by Dittberner, but the Royals never gave up their lead. Bethel led by six, 58-52, heading into the fourth.
 
Banovetz scored to make it a two-point game early in the fourth, and a three by Guetter cut the gap to two, 64-62, with 4:11 left to play, but the Royals responded with a 7-0 run to go up 71-62 with 1:36 remaining.
 
Banovetz finished with 17 points to lead CSB and Dittberner added 10. Guetter and Newton both had nine points and Newton had six rebounds and five assists. CSB shot 45 percent from the field and went 6-for-12 from the line. Saint Benedict had 31 rebounds and 13 turnovers.
 
Hannah Johnson led all scorers with 24 points for Bethel. She was one of three Royals in double digits and she also had 12 rebounds. Bethel shot 47 percent from the field and went 22-for-28 from the line. The Royals had 35 rebounds and 13 turnovers.
 
CSB is on the road again Wednesday, Feb. 8, when it takes on Augsburg at 7 p.m. in Minneapolis.