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Home Opener: The College of Saint Benedict basketball team returns to Clare Lynch Hall this weekend (Nov. 15-16) in their season opening Quinlivan and Hughes Tip-off Tournament. At 8 p.m. on Friday night they will play UW-Superior in the second game of a two-game double-header. The first game will be at 6 p.m. and will pit Macalester against St. Scholastica. On Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. the Blazers will take on St. Scholastica as part of another double-header. The first game will feature Macalester against UW-Superior at 1 p.m. After this tournament the Blazers will play one more non-conference game (vs. UW-River Falls), before starting MIAC play against St. Catherine on Dec. 4.
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About the Yellowjackets: UW-Superior set a new school record by winning 19 games in 2012-13, and finishing fourth overall in the WIAC (Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) standings. This year, they were picked in the WIAC preseason poll to finish fourth again. The Yellowjackets were top-three in the WIAC in scoring offense last year (66.4 ppg), but were also bottom-three in terms of scoring defense (60.3 ppg). They are led by junior guard and preseason All-American Sally Lenzimeier. In 2012-13 she was top-10 in the conference in points (16.6), rebounds (7.0), assists (3.0), steals (3.33), free-throw percentage (81.8%), and field goal percentage (45.7%).
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About the Saints: In 2012-13 St. Scholastica shocked the UMAC (Upper Midwest Athletic Conference) by winning the conference tournament and advancing to the NCAA tournament as a four-seed. This year they return four of five starters, and were picked to win the conference in the coaches' preseason poll. They are led senior forward Erin Frase who led the team in scoring (13.4 ppg) and set a new school record with a 54.6 field goal percentage. This year they throw former Braham High School star Kelsey Sorenson-Giffrow in the mix. Sorenson-Giffrow transferred to St. Scholastica after her first season at Minnesota Duluth.
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The Storyline: Which team will be able to take advantage of a short non-conference schedule to build momentum heading into the conference season (which starts Dec. 4)? The Blazers were picked to finish second in the MIAC, but the YellowJackets and Saints were also picked to finish highly in their respective conferences. This early in the season, the games will go to whoever worked harder in the offseason, and who can knock down shots after a year away from real games.
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Who to Watch: Senior guard
Brianna Barrett (Annandale, Minn.) returns as the Blazers' leading scorer. In 2012-13 she was second in the MIAC with a 42.3 three-point percentage, third with 15.1 ppg, and fifth with a 49.0 field goal percentage. Senior forward Morgan "Windex" Dale (Jamestown, N.D.) - so named for her ability to clean the glass - returns as the Blazers leading rebounder. Last year she was fourth in the conference with 7.3 rebounds per game, including five games with 16 rebounds. After being picked to the All-MIAC First-Year team last year, sophomore forward
Mattie Lueck (Pequot Lakes, Minn.) returns ready to take on a bigger role. She started the last 10 games of the season last year after then-senior forward
Hannah Hylla was lost to injury.
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Last Year: In 2012-13 the Blazers were one of four MIAC teams to finish with 20-plus wins and finished fourth in the MIAC standings, just two games behind first-place Concordia. In the first-round of the playoffs they beat Hamline 86-79 in Clare Lynch Hall. In the semifinals however, they ran into first-seed Concordia, and ended their season with a 64-48 loss. The fourth-place finish exceeded expectations, as they were picked to finish sixth in the coaches' preseason poll. This summer they spent nine days in Spain, practicing and playing against local teams to improve their game.
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Schedule:
Friday, Nov. 15th
Game 1: Macalester vs. St. Scholastica – 6 p.m.
Game 2: UW-Superior vs. Blazers – 8 p.m.
Saturday, Nov 16th
Game 3: Macalester vs. UW-Superior – 1 p.m.
Game 4: St. Scholastica vs. Blazers – 3 p.m.
