Game Summary vs. Bethel / GameDay Online / Photo Gallery

WINONA, Minn. — For the Saint Mary's University women's basketball team, the approach is a simple one: Forget the first half of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference season, and focus on the second time through the conference order.

The Cardinals put their plan into action earlier this week, avenging a 65-50 loss to Macalester on Dec. 4 with a 59-50 victory Wednesday at the SMU Gym.

Saturday, it was time for Phase II.

With the same result.

Sort of.

Oh, the Cardinals did pick up their second straight win Saturday afternoon at the SMU Gym, topping Bethel 73-69, but it wasn't quite as “easy” as Wednesday's win over the Scots.

SMU saw a 14-point second-half lead vanish, watched as Bethel's Latita Martin sank two free throws in the game's final seconds to force an overtime, had victory snatched from their grasp when Autumn Beasley's 3-pointer knotted things up to force OT No. 2, then finally put away the pesky Royals on a field goal by Jesa Hall (Glenwood City, Wis.) and pair of free throws by Brittany Begrowicz (Des Plaines, Ill.).

The Cardinals appeared to have complete control early on, grabbing a 26-18 halftime lead, but things began to unravel midway through the game's second 20 minutes, as Bethel used a 24-8 run turn a 32-18 deficit into a two-point, 42-40 lead with 7:14 remaining.

The Cardinals regained the lead, 53-48 with 3:05 on the clock, but again the Royals answered, scoring five unanswered points — including Martin's two free throws — to send the game into the first OT.

Neither team led by more than three in the five-minute extra session — and the Cardinals were clinging to a 65-62 advantage on a pair of free throws by Cherie Kulig (Independence, Wis.), but again the Royals answered on Beasley's 3-pointer.

Bethel scored the first four points of the second OT, but SMU responded with a game-clinching 8-0 run to ice the victory.

Jess Miller (Carver, Minn.) led the way for the Cardinals, scoring 23 points, while Hall chipped in 15 points and Michelle Carne (Escanaba, Mich.) recorded 11. The Cardinals shot 44 percent from the field (25-for-56) and knocked down a season-high 12 3-pointers en route to their second straight win and their third triumph in their last four games.

Beasley netted a game-high 24 points and Annegret Nautsch posted a double-double of 20 points and 16 rebounds in the losing effort for Bethel.

The Cardinals are back in action Wednesday, playing host to Gustavus in a 7:30 p.m. contest at the SMU Gym.