ST. PETER, Minn. – All the College of Saint Benedict basketball team needed to pull away from Gustavus Wednesday night was a little extra time.
After a close game throughout regulation,
Alison Newton scored from right under the basket to tie the game at 55 with no time left on the clock. CSB started the five-minute overtime on an 8-0 run to pull away for an eventual 70-61 win over the Gusties.
The overtime win helps keep CSB in the top third of the conference at 11-5 overall and 6-3 in the MIAC. The Gusties are also 11-5 overall and 6-3 in the conference.
Gustavus led by a slim 29-27 margin at halftime, and neither team scored for nearly three minutes to start the third quarter, and then
Niki Fokken tied the game.
Macy Kelly hit a 3-pointer to put CSB up one, 32-31, and the Blazers went on a 6-2 run that lasted four minutes to build their lead.
Morgan Merritt hit a three to give CSB an eight-point lead with 34 seconds left in the third, and the Blazers held that lead until the final seconds of regulation. Gustavus took a 55-53 lead thanks to a pair of free throws from Justine Lee, but after a Blazer timeout Newton took the inbounds pass from Fokken and scored, sending it to overtime.
The Gusties held a slim lead throughout the first half, and led by as many as five in the first quarter. Merritt hit a long 3-pointer at the first-quarter buzzer to get the Blazers within two, 17-15. Gustavus was able to push its lead to eight in the second quarter, but CSB fought back, and Newton scored late in the second to make it 29-27 at halftime.
Newton and Guetter both finished with 12 points to lead CSB and Kelly added 11. Merritt finished with nine points on a perfect 3-for-3 shooting from long range. Fokken finished with nine rebounds and Guetter had eight. CSB shot 44 percent from the field and went 24-for-35 from the line. The Blazers had 35 rebounds and 19 turnovers.
Mikayla Miller had 16 points to lead Gustavus and Miranda Rice finished with 11 rebounds. The Gusties shot 36 percent from the field and went 16-for-24 from the line. They had 39 rebounds and 21 turnovers.
The Blazers have two more games on the road before returning home on Jan. 30. CSB is at St. Olaf this Saturday, Jan. 23, at 1 p.m. in Northfield.
