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Moorhead, Minn. - The fourth-seeded Saint Benedict basketball team's season ended in a whirlwind game today (Feb. 21) at top-seed Concordia, losing 64-48 in the MIAC Tournament semifinals.

After holding a lead as late as the 14:23 mark of the second half, the Cobbers shifty defense and offensive rebounds were too much for the Blazers, who were held scoreless for a seven minute stretch late in the second half. The Blazers finish the season 20-7, giving head coach Mike Durbin his 24th 20-win season in his 27 years leading the Blazers.

| Plenty of Positives to Take Away |

The Cobbers improved to 21-5 on the year, and will host St. Thomas in Saturday's MIAC Championship Game.

The Cobbers jumped out on the Blazers early in the game, using three-of-three shooting from beyond the arc to take a 9-0 lead just two minutes into the game. The Blazers fought back valiantly, using a 13-to-3 run and eight points from Brianna Barrett to bring the game within one at 14-13. They never led in the first half, but were able to keep it close and went into the locker rooms at half tied 29-29.

Coming out of the halftime break the Blazers took their first lead of the game when Whitney Canton's jumper put them ahead 31-29.  The teams traded baskets over the next eight minutes, and the Blazers found themselves down just two points at 43-41 after a Morgan Dale three with 11:17 left to play. Unfortunately a dry spell followed, as the Blazers were outscored 23-5 over the final 11 minutes of the game.

Key to that stretch run by the Cobbers was offensive rebounding and second chance points.  They outrebounded the Blazers 12-to-3 and scored 16 second half points to the Blazers' four in the game, most of them during the second half. Those 16 points were the difference in the game as the Blazers lost by exactly 16. After scoring 46 points in the paint on Tuesday against Hamline, the Blazers managed just 12 today while giving up 22 to the Cobbers.

Barrett led the Blazers in scoring once again with 18 points and five rebounds, including three three-pointers, the 15th time this season she's led in scoring. Her 15 points per game place her third among the conference leaders and will undoubtedly make her one of the candidates for preseason MIAC player of the year in 2013-14.

Whitney Canton finished in double figures for the 10th time in the past 11 games, adding 10 points, five rebounds, three blocks, and two assists in her last game in a Blazer uniform. She and Barrett were the only Blazers to start every conference game this season.

Morgan Dale added 11 points and seven rebounds to close her fantastic season on the glass. She'll finish fourth among the conference leaders in rebounds per game with 7.3 rebounds per game.

The Blazers were also missing two key players from Durbin's lineup in today's game that would have undoubtedly had a huge impact on the outcome. Seniors and former starters Hannah Hylla and Jamie Wollin were both sidelined due to season-ending injuries earlier this year.

"Although every team has injuries, it's tough to imagine any other team at the top of the MIAC losing two senior starters and still being as competitive they are," said Durbin.