ST. PAUL, Minn. – For the second time in the past three games, the College of Saint Benedict basketball team needed overtime to decide its fate, this time against Hamline University.
 
The Blazers didn't take their first lead of the game until the third quarter of Wednesday's game, but couldn't get a lead to stick until the final minute of overtime when Niki Fokken and Alison Newton hit free throws to seal a 60-57 win in St. Paul.
 
The win marks the fourth straight for CSB, and ends the Blazers' five-game road stretch on a high note. In the last two-and-a half weeks, Saint Benedict proved it's not afraid to play on the road as it is 7-2 in away games this season. Saint Benedict is 13-5 overall and tied for second in the MIAC at 8-2. Saint Mary's and St. Thomas are both 9-2, and Gustavus, Concordia and CSB all have eight conference wins.
 
Neither team led by more than two points in the fourth quarter, and points were hard to come by. After Fokken scored to start the quarter, Hamline took a two-point lead on a Chelsey Bonsante three, but Grace Wolhowe answered with a three of her own to put CSB up 47-46 with 8:34 left. The Pipers took the lead back, but Chlsey Guetter and Wolhowe both hit free throws to put the Blazers up 51-49 with five minutes left.
 
Hamline tied the game, then took a 53-51 lead, and, with 3:02 left, Ke'Avae Taylor scored to tie the game at 53, and that's where the score would stay at the end of regulation.
 
Neither team scored in the first minute of overtime, and the score was tied at 54-54, then 55-55. Hamline took a two-point lead on a pair of free throws by Bonsante with 2:28 left, but Wolhowe scored to tie the game with 1:59 remaining, Fokken hit two free throws, Taylor got a steal and Newton hit a single free throw with 12 seconds left to seal the win.
 
Hamline (3-15, 1-9), led 5-0 early, and pushed its lead to seven, 18-11, after one quarter. Fokken scored and Macy Kelly hit a three to start the second quarter and cut the game to two, 18-16, but the Pipers pushed the lead back to seven, 26-19, with 3:38 left in the half. Layups by Kate Banovetz made it a one-point game late in the second, and Hamline led 30-27 at halftime.
 
CSB took its first lead of the game, 35-34, with 4:41 remaining in the third quarter on a layup by Ali Newton, but the Pipers tied the score a short time later, and from there it was back-and-forth until the end of overtime.
 
Fokken finished with 16 points and eight rebounds to lead CSB and Newton added 14 points. Chelsey Guetter added 11 rebounds. The Blazers shot 34 percent from the field and went 16-for-28 from the line. They had 48 rebounds and 11 turnovers.
 
Bonsante led all scorers with 20 points for Hamline. Chloe Graves (12) and Emily Behrman (10) also hit double digits, and Alex Peterson had eight rebounds. The Pipers shot 36.8 percent from the field and went 11-for-20 from the line. They had 37 rebounds and 14 turnovers.
 
CSB looks for a fifth-straight win Saturday when it plays at home for the first time since Jan. 9. The Blazers host Bethel at 3 p.m. in Claire Lynch.