Defense prevails as the College of Saint Benedict basketball team cruised past Concordia today 77-53, allowing the Blazers to maintain their first place position in the MIAC.

CSB came out in a blaze, taking an 8-4 lead over Concordia in the first three minutes of the half.   The Blazers proceeded to capture a 16-2 run over the next seven minutes, making the score 24-6.  Each team then matched basket for basket over the next six minutes, while the Cobbers owned the last portion of the half, outscoring the Blazers 10-5.  However, CSB's aggressive defense allowed them to kept Cobber guard Jenna Freudenberg, Concordia's leading scorer, scoreless in the half, heading into the locker room with a 39-25 lead.

Keeping their momentum, the Blazers sank four three-pointers in a 15-3 effort that extended their lead 54-28 with 15 minutes remaining on the clock.   Tough, aggressive defense allowed CSB to keep their lead and prevented the Cobbers from catching up.  The Blazers remained consistent offensively and defensively, finishing the game with a final score of 77-53.

The Blazers were a stunning 11-for-23 from behind the arc today, with senior Nikki Carter (Edina, MN, Edina) and sophomore Amy Stifter (Watertown, MN, Watertown-Mayer) each sinking three 3-pointers.  Stifter led CSB in scoring with a game-high 15 points, while Carter contributed 9 points.  Sophomore Danielle Frank (Caledonia, MN, Caledonia) added 11 points and grabbed 9 rebounds, as well.  Junior Mindy Schmidt (Brooklyn Park, MN, Champlin Park) also chipped in 10 points toward the win.

CSB next heads to St. Paul, Minn., on Wed., Jan. 14, where they take on the University of St. Thomas at 7:30 p.m.

Box Score