Defense carried St. Ambrose through three quarters and the offense came alive in the fourth as the Bees opened a two-game trip to Texas with a 65-59 win at Our Lady of the Lake Monday afternoon.

SAU limited the Saints to less than 37 percent shooting in winning for the seventh straight time.

The defense really stood out in the third quarter. Trailing 30-27 at the half, the Bees allowed only six points in the third as the Saints shot just 1-of-9 from the floor in the frame.

And after managing just 38 points through three, St. Ambrose put up 27 in the fourth.

Over the final 10 minutes, SAU was 7-of-11 from the floor, 2-of-2 from beyond the arc, and 11-of-12 from the line to hold off OLLU.

Anna Plumer hit both triples in the frame and scored eight points in the quarter. Kylie Wroblewski and Maddy Cash combined to go 9-of-10 from the line in totaling 13 fourth-quarter points.

It was a pair of Wroblewski free throws and a layup from Cash midway through the fourth that turned a four-point lead into a 51-43 advantage inside the final four minutes. After a Saint free throw, Shayne Smith drove in for a layup to extend the lead to 53-44. 

Our Lady of the Lake got within four points several times late, and ultimately cut the deficit to 61-58 with 30 seconds remaining. But Cash calmly answered with two free throws, and seconds later, after a defensive stop, Wroblewski hit two from the line for a 65-58 lead. OLLU hit a free throw with two seconds left to end the scoring.

Wroblewski and Smith led four Bees in double figures with 15 points apiece. Madeline Prestegaard scored 12 points before fouling out in the fourth. Plumer came off the bench to knock down three 3-pointers in scoring 11.

Smith also hit three triples as SAU finished 6-of-12 from beyond the arc. Smith led the team with nine rebounds. Madeline and Jaynee Prestegaard each collected seven rebounds helping the Bees grab a 41-27 edge on the boards.

Cash narrowly missed double figures in scoring nine points while adding a team-best four steals. Abby Lundquist recorded two rebounds and two assists in the win.

St. Ambrose, now 13-1 overall, will conclude its trip with a game at Texas Lutheran Tuesday afternoon.