ARDEN HILLS, Minn -- The final score didn't show the outcome College of Saint Benedict basketball junior Kira Young and her teammates were hoping for Saturday afternoon.
 
But despite falling, 78-66, to Bethel in their regular-season finale at the Robertson Center, the Bennies did come away with reason for optimism.
 
After all, CSB (11-7 MIAC, 16-9 overall) led the Royals (17-1, 21-4) - who wrapped up a share of the MIAC regular-season title and earned the top seed in the conference playoffs - by as much as five early in the second half.
 
If not for a stretch of 4:32 to end the third quarter when the Bennies were held to just two points, they largely held their own with the league-leaders. That's a good sign heading into next week's MIAC tournament.
 
"I think the way we played today generated a lot of momentum going into our first playoff game Tuesday night," said Young, a 5-foot-11 post/forward who led her team with 21 points and six rebounds. "We showed that we can play with teams like this."
 
CSB finished the regular season in a three-way tie for fourth place in the conference standings with Concordia and St. Mary's. But due to tiebreakers, the Bennies will be the No. 5 seed in the postseason. That means a trip to Moorhead to face the fourth-seeded Cobbers in the quarterfinals at 7 p.m. Tuesday (Feb. 25). Concordia beat CSB, 80-66, on Jan. 15 in Moorhead and, 83-73, on Feb. 8 at Claire Lynch Hall.
 
Bennies head coach Mike Durbin likes the way his team is playing heading into round three.
 
"I thought we played really aggressively (against Bethel Saturday)," he said. "We executed our defensive game plan the way we were hoping to. I was actually very pleased with the way we played."
 
CSB shot just 8-for-23 (34.8 percent) from the field in the first half, but was 14-19 at the free throw line and went into the locker rooms with the game tied 32-32. The Royals were just 13-for-33 (39.4 percent) from the field in the first two quarters and were 6-for-8 from the line.
 
"We penetrated the lane really well, and that helped us get to the line as much as we did," Young said.
 
The Bennies scored the first five points of the second half and took a 39-32 lead on a jumper from first-year point guard Lauren Arnold with 8:39 to go in the third quarter.
 
But then Bethel regained the momentum.
 
After a layup by Arnold cut the Royals' lead to 49-46 with 4:32 left in the third quarter, CSB scored just two more points until a pair of free throws by Young with 8:17 to play in the fourth.
 
"We're usually a great third-quarter team," said Young, who had a career-best 21 points and added six rebounds. She had her 19th career double-digit scoring game. "But that wasn't the case today."
 
The Bennies did cut the gap to as little as eight twice in the final three minutes on baskets by junior wing Megan Morgan, but could get no closer than that. Still, Arnold finished with 13 points and six rebounds as she now has 12 double-digit scoring games, including each of her last night games. It was her Senior forward/wing Olivia Boily added 11 points (16th career double-digit scoring game) and Morgan and senior point guard/wing Sophia Jonas each finished with 10. Morgan had a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds for the second of her career. She also had 29 double-digit scoring games. As for Jonas, she had three more three pointers and now has 260 in her career, which is both a MIAC  and CSB school record.
 
"There's a lot of good things we can take away from this game," said Young, who hit 8-of-13 field goals with three assists and two steals in the regular season finale. "If we play like this, we can compete with anyone we face."