ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – Kate Banovetz emerged as a go-to player for the College of Saint Benedict basketball team in her first year with the program in 2014-15, and she picked up right where she left off Saturday in the team’s first game of the year.
Banovetz – who was named one of the CSB varsity squad’s most improved players as a first year – hit double digits in scoring and pulled down eight rebounds for the Blazers as they beat UW-Stout 69-64 Saturday in Menomonie, Wis. For her big game, Banovetz has been named the CSB Athlete of the Week.
Banovetz, a 6-foot post from Minneapolis, started her sophomore campaign with 11 points and eight rebounds Saturday against the Blue Devils. All 11 of those points came in the second half, and six of them came early in the fourth quarter to help Saint Benedict pull away from Stout.
Banovetz scored the first five points of the quarter on a pair of layups and a free throw to give CSB a 51-49 lead with 7:57 left to play, and the Blazers would never give up that lead. A pair of free throws and a three-point play by Banovetz in the third quarter got CSB within one, 45-44, and helped the Blazers stay within sight of the Blue Devils.
In her first season, Banovetz averaged 4.6 points and 4.3 rebounds per game and finished the year with 91 total points and 85 total rebounds. She looks to put together another big performance this weekend when CSB hosts Crown College and Saint Mary’s as part of the Quinlivan & Hughes Tip-Off Tournament. The Blazers host Crown at 7 p.m. Friday and Saint Mary’s at 3 p.m. Sunday in a nonconference game.
