Basketball
Caleb Williams, d3photography.com

In Need of a Win at Macalester

The Blazer basketball team heads to Macalester looking to get back on the winning track.

01/08/2014

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This Week: Coming off back-to-back losses the Saint Benedict basketball team is in much need of a win when they head to Macalester Wednesday (Jan. 8) night. The Blazers and Scots are set to tip off at 7:30 p.m. in St. Paul, in the first game since Jan. 4 for the Blazers, as Monday's action was canceled due to the weather. The Blazers enter at 5-4 overall with a 2-4 MIAC record, while the Scots counter with a 2-7 overall mark and 1-5 conference record.
 
Macalester Web Logo
About the Scots: One of the few teams to still play on Monday, they got their first conference win with a 57-55 road victory at Gustavus. The Scots also won their opener, 57-53 against St. Scholastica in the Blazers' Quinlivan and Hughes Tip-Off Tournament, but then fell into a seven-game losing streak until Monday. The Scots are averaging a league worst 48.7 points per game, but they're giving up just 58.8 points per game which is fifth best. They're led in scoring by Erin Murray, who is their only player to average double figures at 11.2 points per game.
 
Last Year: In their first meeting last year, the Blazers traveled to St. Paul, and held off a late Scot rally on their way to a 57-47 win. The Blazers led by as much as 10 with seven minutes left, but the Scots closed the cap to four on a three-point play with less than five minutes to go. The Blazers held on and never lost the lead, getting 20 points from Brianna Barrett to lead the team in scoring. In their second meeting in St. Joseph, the Blazers took a 55-34 win from the Scots, actually coming from behind to do so. The Blazers were trailing 22-20 when the two teams went into the locker rooms, but they put the clamps down on defense in the second, only allowing Macalester to score 12 points, while pouring in 35 to run away with the win. Morgan Dale led the way with 15 points and 16 rebounds for a double-double.
Brianna Barrett v. Hamline, 11/28/12
Morgan Dale v. Macalester, 1/23/13
W, 57-47 @ MAC W 55-34 @ CSB
 
The Storyline: Can the Blazers get back on the winning track? They dropped a tough road game to No. 12 ranked St. Thomas before the break, and in their first game back lost a back and forth battle with a surprising Bethel team. The Blazers had their chances against the Royals, and will need to capitalize on such opportunities to secure a win from the Scots. The Blazers have been able to take care of the Scots in recent years, but Macalester hasn't went down easy, meaning the Blazers will need to be on their game to get back in the win column.
 
Who to Watch: Morgan Dale (Jamestown, N.D.) is the leading rebounder in the MIAC and just pulled down a CSB record tying 21 against Bethel. She's just this third player on program history to reach 21, and has now moved into ninth place all time with 511 in her career. Mattie Lueck (Pequot Lakes, Minn.) is the only player to score in double figures in each of the last two games, and currently holds the Blazers longest stretch of double-digit games at four straight. She led the Blazers with 15 against the Royals and ranks second on the team at 10.4 points per game.  Brianna Barrett (Annandale, Minn.) is the Blazers' leading scorer with 14.2 points per game, and last season averaged 15.0 in two games against the Scots.
Head shot of basketball athlete Morgan Dale
Head shot of basketball athlete Mattie Lueck
Head shot of basketball athlete Briana Barrett
Morgan Dale Mattie Lueck Brianna Barrett
 
Morgan Dale
Last Time Out: The Blazers dropped a tough 63-59 loss on the road at Bethel last Saturday (Jan. 4). The Blazers led at the half and were in charge for much of the second before the Royals took the lead for good late. The score was tied 56-56 with under seven minutes to play, but Bethel responded with a 6-0 run to take the lead on their way to the win. Mattie Lueck led the way with 15 points, while Morgan Dale dominated the boards to the tune of 21 rebounds. 

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