Women's Basketball | 02/06/2015

Live Video and Stats

ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict basketball team picked up one of its biggest wins of the season when it defeated Bethel University 69-55 on Jan. 3 in St. Joseph. The Blazers try for the season sweep of the Royals this Saturday, Feb. 7, when the two teams meet up in Arden Hills, Minn. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m.
 
About the Royals: Bethel heads into this afternoon's matchup on an eight-game winning streak. The Royals won six of their first seven games to start the season, then lost three of their next five – including one to the Blazers – before getting back on track. The Royals are currently second in the MIAC behind only St. Thomas. Rachel Parupsky leads Bethel and is seventh in the MIAC in scoring at 13.8 points per game and she is also fourth with 7.6 rebounds per game. Parupsky is also third in the MIAC with a .520 field-goal percentage.
 
Last Meeting: The Blazers handed Bethel its third loss of the season when the two teams met Jan. 3 in St. Joseph. CSB came out hot, shooting 40 percent from the field in the first half, and led 35-22 at halftime. The Blazers made 15 free throws in the second half to help seal the win. Emily Lueck finished with 14 points and four rebounds, Alison Newton had 10 points and Niki Fokken finished with nine points and seven rebounds.
 
Last Time Out: CSB dropped a tough overtime game to St. Olaf, 58-53 in Claire Lynch Wednesday night. The Oles led 34-33 at halftime, and both teams were scoreless for nearly seven minutes in the second half, which ended tied at 52. St. Olaf hit two 3-pointers in overtime, which was enough to pull away for the win. Mattie Lueck finished with 22 points and 13 rebounds and Emily Lueck added 12 points and eight rebounds for CSB.
 
The Storyline: It's time for Saint Benedict to make its move if it wants to stay in the hunt for a playoff spot. After a tough loss to St. Olaf Wednesday, the Blazers are still holding onto the sixth spot in the conference, but need some wins to stay in the top six. With just five games left in the regular season, every game is critical.
 
Who to Watch: Junior Mattie Lueck has been hot as usual for CSB, and scored 22 points to go with 13 rebounds against St. Olaf Wednesday. Senior Emily Lueck has also been key for the Blazer offense and is currently third on the team in scoring at 7.9 points per game. Mattie Lueck is sixth in the MIAC in scoring at 14.7 points per game and Annie Dittberner is third with a .426 three-point percentage.