BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – The 2025 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Women's Basketball Playoffs continued on Thursday night with two semifinal matchups.

Top-seeded Bethel cruised to a 79-50 win over No. 5 Saint Benedict, while No. 2 Gustavus pulled away for a 71-35 win over No. 3 Hamline. The Royals will now host the Gusties in the 2025 MIAC Women's Basketball Playoff Championship, tentatively scheduled for 3:00 p.m. on Saturday in Arden Hills. Bethel and Gustavus tied for the regular season conference title; Bethel won home court advantage in the Playoffs over Gustavus in a coin flip.

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NO. 1 BETHEL 79, NO. 5 SAINT BENEDICT 50 | Box Score |
The Royals will host the 2025 MIAC Women's Basketball Playoff Championship after tallying a 79-50 victory over No. 5 Saint Benedict on Thursday night in Arden Hills. Bethel forward Elly Schmitz posted a 14-point, 13-rebound double-double and added five blocked shots for good measure in the win. Schmitz shot 85.7 percent (6-for-7) from the field in 20 minutes of action. Kira Young was the Bennies' top scorer, with a team-high 11 points in the game. The Bethel defense held CSB to shooting 30.6 percent (19-for-62) from the field while getting 48 points in the paint and 32 points off the bench on the offensive end of the court.

NO. 2 GUSTAVUS 71, NO. 3 HAMLINE 35 | Box Score |
Ten different Gusties factored into the scoring as the three-time defending MIAC Playoff champions rolled to a 71-35 victory over No. 3 Hamline on Thursday night. Gustavus guard Emma Kniefel led the way, shooting 71.4 percent (5-for-7) from both the floor and the free-throw line for a game-high 16 points. Teammate Izzy Quick scored 14 points of her own and pulled down 10 rebounds for a double-double. The Gustavus defense held Hamline to 25 percent shooting from the floor, though the Pipers' leading scorer, Lauren Cooper, doubled that clip, going 3-for-6 for 11 points with nine from beyond the arc and two more from the charity stripe.

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PLAYOFF CHAMPIONSHIP SET FOR SATURDAY
Regular season co-champions Bethel and Gustavus will now square off Saturday afternoon in the MIAC Women's Basketball Playoff Championship. It will be the first-ever title game played between the two programs, though the Royals and Gusties have faced off six times before in the postseason, with Gustavus maintaining a 4-2 advantage in those contests. Bethel and Gustavus have also combined to win each of the last four MIAC Playoff titles; the Royals won it all in 2020, and after no winter championships were held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Gustavus has won the last three in a row. The Gusties and Royals split their regular season matchups this year, with each squad winning on the other's home court. Tip-off for Saturday's contest is tentatively set for 3:00 p.m. at Bethel. The MIAC Playoff champion will receive the postseason championship plaque and the conference's automatic bid to the 2025 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament.

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TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY
Tickets for the 2025 MIAC Women's Basketball Playoff Championship game will go on sale Friday, February 28, at 10:00 a.m. All tickets for the 2025 MIAC Playoffs will be sold and purchased online via HomeTown Ticketing. There will not be cash sales at any venue; however, spectators can purchase tickets using a mobile device, including while at the venue. General admission adult tickets are $12 (plus HTT service charge). Student (with ID) tickets are $3 (plus HTT service charge), and children ages five and under are admitted free.

The MIAC has a homepage dedicated to the 2025 MIAC Women's Basketball Playoffs, containing schedules, links, and information on each of the six teams in the field. The page will be updated throughout the tournament with scores, stats, and schedules. Fans can also follow the action on the MIAC Scoreboard, on the free MIAC mobile app, and on the MIAC Sports Network.

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