St. Paul, Minn. - Behind a hot-shooting second half, the Saint Benedict basketball team scored a 63-41 road win over St. Catherine tonight (Jan. 22).
 
The Blazers shot 52% in the second half, outscoring the Wildcats 37-17 in the period en route to the win, after coming out the halftime locker room with just a two-point lead.
 
The Blazers (9-5, 6-5 MIAC) started the second half on an 11-to-2 run over the first five minutes and never looked back. While the offense was making 14-of-27 shots from the field in the half, the Blazer defense was busy holding the Wildcats (3-11, 2-9 MIAC) to a mere 6-of-25 mark from the field, which included just one three pointer.
 
The usual suspects of Tish Alexander (Minneapolis) and Brianna Barrett (Annandale, Minn.) were found at the top of the box score when it was all said and done, as the senior duo led the team with 16 and 14 points respectively on the night.
 
In one of the Blazers' most lopsided wins of the year, head coach Mike Durbin was able to empty his bench, getting 18 different players time on the court on the night. Twelve of those players would finish in the scoring column as well.
 
The win not only jump starts the Blazers on their second tour through the MIAC schedule, but it also returns the favor from the conference opener, where the Wildcats came to Claire Lynch Hall, and handed the Blazers a one-point loss, 70-69 on Dec. 4.
 
And in the win, the Blazers were in control in nearly every category.  They held the Wildcats to 30% (16-of-53) shooting from the floor, and went to the free throw line 13 times compared to St. Kate's seven. The Blazers held a 38-to-35 edge on the boards, which included 13 offensive rebounds for CSB, leading to an 11-to-2 edge in second chance points.
 
Now over the .500 mark in MIAC play, the Blazers get to return home for one of their biggest tests of the season. League-leading Saint Mary's visits on Saturday (Jan. 25), entering the game as winners of 11 straight and alone at the top of the MIAC at 11-1. Their winning streak started with an early December victory over the Blazers, but that was in Winona, Minn. Tip-off in Claire Lynch Hall is set for 3 p.m.