Olivia Hayenga scores 41 points in 89-80 win over Bethany Lutheran JV
Nov. 27—WORTHINGTON — After a 2-2 start to its 2023-24 season, the Minnesota West women's basketball team has since posted four-straight wins to improve to 6-2.
On Nov. 20, the Lady Jays traveled to Illinois and defeated Joliet Junior College 79-68 thanks to a 29-9 scoring run in the third quarter.
Their most recent performance was an 89-80 win Saturday over Bethany Lutheran JV in a return home to Worthington.
In the first quarter, Minnesota West started off well, opening up a 12-point lead before Bethany Lutheran JV began hitting shots to regain the lead. After one, The Jays held a narrow three-point lead. In the second quarter, the Lady Jays played well, outscoring Bethany by nine points in the quarter to take a 12-point halftime lead.
In the second half, the Lady Jays continued to hold on to the lead despite Bethany's best efforts to get it back. Bethany again started hitting shots as the team outscored Minnesota West 24-18 in the third quarter and at one point in the final quarter, cut Minnesota West's lead to only three points. The Lady Jays were solid down the stretch though and were able to hold off Bethany's late rally and seal the win.
"I thought we started out very well and really did some nice things, but then we had a let down defensively at times I think and just gave them too many good looks," Lady Jays head coach Rosalie Hayenga-Hostikka commented after the game. "Credit to them as they shot the ball very well, but I was proud of how we kept playing hard and did some really nice things offensively to score 89 points. There are still a lot of areas that we need to work on but all in all it was a good night for us."
In all, four Lady Jays scored in double figures. Leading the charge was Olivia Hayenga, who dropped a career-high 41 points on 15-of-27 from the field and 9-of-12 from the free throw line. The reigning NJCAA Division III player of the year also finished with 12 rebounds, four assists, three steals and three blocks. That game came after a 26-point, 12-rebound performance from her last week against Joliet Junior College.
Hattie DeVries was second in scoring for Minnesota West Saturday with 15 points to go along with six rebounds, four assists and three steals. Last Monday, she scored 23 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Audrey Drapeau scored 11 points and led the team in assists with eight and steals with four and Skyla Petersen added 10 points and six boards.
Bethany Lutheran was led in scoring by Juliana Ewald with 21 points. Both Jordan Anderson and Maria Esteban finished with double-doubles with each totaling 16 points and 10 rebounds.
As a team, the Lady Jays shot 46.7% from the field compared to Bethany's 44.1%, but the Jays only shot 4-of-19 from behind the arc and 57.7% from the free throw line. Bethany made 12-of-15 of its free throws.
Up next for Minnesota West is its Minnesota College Athletic Conference opener against Central Lakes College-Brainerd Friday night at 5:30 p.m. in Worthington.
Bethany Lutheran JV 20 34 58 80
Minnesota West 23 46 64 89
BETHANY LUTHERAN JV (3FG-2FG-FT-TP) — Ewald 3-4-4-21, Craig 0-4-2-10, Spain 0-3-0-6, Anderson 2-4-2-16, Esteban 1-5-3-16, Skorenkyi 1-1-1-6, Cornet Bonilla 1-1-0-5
MINNESOTA WEST (3FG-2FG-FT-TP) — DeVries 0-6-3-15, Petersen 0-4-2-10, UsesArrow 0-1-0-2, Drapeau 1-4-0-11, Hayenga 2-13-9-41, Parrish 0-2-1-5, Potter 1-1-0-5
