St. Paul, Minn. – The Saint Benedict basketball team started slow, and against No. 12 St. Thomas it was too much to overcome, as they fell 60-36 on the road on Saturday (Dec. 14).
 
The host Tommies (7-1, 5-0 MIAC) ran out to a 21-0 lead, keeping the Blazers (5-2, 2-3 MIAC) off the board until there were less than 10 minutes left in the first half. Brianna Barrett (Annandale, Minn.) finally put the Blazers on the board at the 8:27 mark, making the score 21-3. Morgan Dale (Jamestown, N.D.) then added a bucket the next time down the floor to make it 21-5 with eight minutes to go.
 
When the Blazers did score, the Tommies responded with a 7-to-0 run and closed the first half with a 36-10 lead, easily the most lopsided halftime score for the Blazers this season.
 
The Blazers went just 3-of-25 from the field in the first half, on their way to a 12-of-53 night overall.
 
Mattie Lueck scored in double-figures for the third straight game – the first such stretch in her career – leading the Blazers with 16 points and finishing as the only player in double figures. It's the first time all season that the Blazers have had just one player in double-digits, and with it comes the end to Barrett's career long 11-game streak of scoring 10 more points.
 
The Blazers' leading scorer, Barrett was held to just six points, nine below her average.
 
With a final shooting percentage of 23%, the Blazers were held to their lowest mark of the season, as well as their lowest point total, coming after their two highest scoring games of the season, topping the 70-point mark each time.
 
With the loss, however, the Blazers still close the first half with a 2-1 week heading into the holiday break, with the only loss coming to the No. 12 ranked team in the country. When they return, they will again do so on the road, heading to Bethel on Jan. 4 for a 3 p.m. start.
 
They will also return to the search of win No. 600 for head coach Mike Durbin, as he remains at 599 in his career, just one away from becoming just the 12th coach in DIII history to reach the milestone.