ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict basketball team had to wait an extra day to start its home season, but the wait was worth it for CSB.
 
Saint Benedict beat Martin Luther 58-40 Saturday afternoon in the second game of the Quinlivan & Hughes Tip-Off Tournament. The tournament was scheduled to be played Friday and Saturday in Claire Lynch, but was pushed back to Saturday and Sunday afternoons due to Friday's snowstorm.
 
Martin Luther (0-2) led 8-4 midway through the first quarter, but Morgan Merritt hit a three and Niki Fokken scored to put CSB on top 9-8. Macy Kelly hit a three and Alison Newton hit two free throws to put CSB up five, but MLC was able to keep it a two-point game, 16-14, after one.
 
Martin Luther was able to regain the lead early in the second, but Newton hit back-to-back threes to spark a 13-3 run that ended with a 29-20 lead for CSB with two minutes left in the quarter. Saint Benedict led 33-24 at halftime.
 
Neither team's offense could get going to start the second half, but CSB outscored Martin Luther 8-9 in the first six minutes of the third. A three by Kelly pushed CSB's lead to 16, 45-29, with 2:48 left in the quarter, and another three by Merritt late in the quarter helped CSB head into the fourth with a 48-34 lead. Saint Benedict outscored Martin Luther 10-6 in the fourth and final quarter.
 
Newton finished with a game-high 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field, including a 3-of-4 mark from long range. Kate Banovetz and Merritt each had eight points and Chelsey Guetter finished with nine rebounds. CSB shot 33 percent from the field, hit seven threes and went 9-for-17 from the line.
 
Mariah Schoof led Martin Luther with 12 points and Jade St. Germaine and Grace Schultz each had eight rebounds. MLC shot 28 percent from the field, hit two 3-pointers and went 8-for-21 from the line.
 
CSB returns to action Sunday, Nov. 20, when it takes on UW-Stout at 4 p.m. The Blue Devils beat Saint Mary's 64-54 in the first game of the tournament.