ST. PAUL, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict basketball team dug itself a bit of a hole early in the second half against Macalester College Wednesday night, but Kate Banovetz found a way to get her team out of it.
 
The Blazers, who held a slim lead at halftime, got down by as many as 14 points after a long run by the Scots to start the second half. But Banovetz, a first year forward, scored 23 second-half points to lead CSB to a 73-65 victory in St. Paul, Minn.
 
The win snaps a two-game losing stream for the Blazers, who are back at .500 with an 8-8 overall record. Saint Benedict improved to 5-4 in the MIAC and is tied for fifth with Concordia.
 
CSB went into halftime with a 32-30 lead against Macalester (3-13, 0-9). But the Scots came out hot in the led off six straight points Macalester pushed its lead to 15, 51-36, with 12:49 left in the half before CSB started its own run.
 
Koch hit a free throw and Jordan Falk scored, then Banovetz rattled off six straight points to cut the Scots' lead to seven, 52-45, with 9:46 left. Falk hit a pair of free throws, and a few minutes later two more free throws and a jumper by Falk gave the Blazers a 55-54 lead with 7:40 remaining.
 
Macalester tied the game at 58, but Banovetz hit four free throws and scored on a jumper to put CSB up four, 64-60, with just under four minutes left. Abby Miller hit a pair of free throws to make it a five-point game with two minutes left, and CSB was able to hold on for the win.
 
Neither team was able to build a substantial lead early in the first half, and the score was tied four times, including at 21-21 with 8:19 left. Tyla Wilder hit a three to put the Blazers up three and Miller added another three a short time later to help CSB hold onto its lead. Alison Newton hit a pair of free throw to make it a six-point game, 32-26, with 3:29 left in the half, but Macalester made it a two-point game heading into the break.
 
Banovetz went 9-for-16 from the field and 9-for-12 from the line to lead CSB, which shot 33.8 percent from the field. She finished with 27 points and 13 rebounds to go with three blocked shots and three steals. Miller added 11 points and Mattie Lueck had six points and six rebounds. Falk chipped in with eight points and four steals. The Blazers went 20-for-30 from the line and had 45 rebounds and just four turnovers.
 
Regan Fruh led Macalester with 16 points and nine rebounds. Annie Drabot added 15 points and 10 rebounds, Vivi Gregorich had 11 points and Grace Dickman finished with 10 points. The Scots shot 45.6 percent from the field, including 50 percent in the second half. They went 7-for-18 from the line and had 47 rebounds and 20 turnovers.
 
Saint Benedict returns home Saturday, Jan. 24, when it hosts No. 5 St. Thomas at 3 p.m. in Claire Lynch Hall.