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| St. Olaf | MIAC | Watch | Listen | Live Stats |
On the Ole Road: The Blazers continue their road trip with visit to St. Olaf, tipping off at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 19. It's the second in a three-game stretch, with the Blazers winning in the first of the three games on Wednesday. They'll be looking to make it two straight on the road as the Blazers enter with a 10-4 record in the year, and an 8-3 mark in the conference to sit in fourth place. Meanwhile the Oles are an even 7-7 on the year, and are in a sixth place tie with a 5-6 MIAC mark.
About St. Olaf: The Oles lost to Saint Mary's their last time out, ending a three-game winning streak which was their longest of the season. They are nearing the end of a season-long six game homestand, a stretch where they are currently 3-1. They've been tough to beat at home all year, holding a 4-2 record at the Skoglund Center, with all four wins coming against MIAC teams. The Oles are in the middle of the conference in scoring, averaging 60.2 points per game, but they have made their mark with their defense, holding opponents to an average of just 56.4 points per game, the third best mark in the MIAC. Three times on the year, they've held their opponents to less than 50 points, including just 34 to Bethel on Jan. 5.
Last Season: The two teams split the season series last year, with each team winning on their home floor. The Oles won in Northfield
82-75 in mid-January, while the Blazers evened the series a month later with a
54-50 win in Claire Lynch Hall. In the Blazers' win, they were on fire from downtown, hitting seven three-pointers in the second half alone, to overcome a 29-23 halftime deficit. The win evened the score from the previous loss, where it was the Blazers leading at halftime, before the Oles used a 50% second half from the floor for the comeback win.
The Storyline: Can the Blazer offense control the Ole defense, and get their sixth win in the last seven games. Despite one of the top scoring defenses in the league, the Oles have allowed an average of 66.3 points over the last three games.
Who to Watch:
Brianna Barrett is the fourth leading scorer in the MIAC, and last season against the Oles, scored 16 points as the Blazers won. She has scored in double figures in all but three games this season.
Whitney Canton has been a major catalyst in the Blazers' last two wins, scoring 14 and 12 points respecively. Her dynamic play also has her going to the line at the best rate in the conference, making a league-leagine 4.2 free throws pee game, including a combined 14 in the last two games.
Mattie Lueck had a breakout game on Wednesday, scoring 13 points, on the strength of 4-of-6 shooting from the field. A versatile player with vauable height, she could be a factor against the tall Ole frontcourt.
Last Time Out: The Blazers got double-digit scoring from four different players, and used a 17-to-8 second half run to score a 66-62 comeback victory over Hamline on Jan. 16. Sisters, Emily and
Mattie Lueck led the charge off the bench with 13 points apiece, while
Brianna Barrett and
Whitney Canton each also added 12.
Mattie Lueck hit a pair of second half free throws to put the Blazers ahead for the first time in the period, before
Emily Lueck scored eight straight points to put CSB in charge for good. It was the second time the sisters each scored in double figures, with the first coming in the season opener at Colorado College.
