ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict basketball team appeared to be on the verge of snapping its three-game losing streak Wednesday against Gustavus, but the Gustie defense had other ideas.
 
Down one with 10 seconds left, CSB had the ball coming out of a timeout, but the Gusties forced a turnover in the final five seconds to come away with the 52-51 win in Claire Lynch Hall.
 
The loss sets up a must-win situation for Saint Benedict, which hosts Augsburg Saturday in the regular-season finale. The Auggies beat Macalester Wednesday, leaving CSB and the Auggies tied for sixth in the MIAC with 9-8 records. The winner earns the sixth and final seed in the league's postseason tournament.
 
Gustavus (18-6, 13-4) led by as many as 11, 44-33, early in the fourth quarter. But Morgan Merritt converted a three-point play and Annie Dittberner hit a three to make it a five-point game with 6:43 left, and a three by Grace Wolhowe made it a two-point game, 45-43, with 4:33 remaining.
 
A pair of free throws by Ke'Avae Taylor got CSB within one, and a layup by Taylor gave CSB a one-point lad with 3:25 left. The score was tied at 48, then at 51, and the Gusties took a one-point lead on a single free throw with 1:51 left, and that's where the score would stay.
 
The Blazers came out strong in the first quarter after starting the game with a three-pointer from Wolhowe. After a strong defensive showing and an eight-point quarter from Wolhowe, the Blazers led the Gusties by a score of 16-11 heading in to the second quarter. Throughout the second quarter, the Blazers maintained their five-point lead as they held the Gusties to 10 points. As the first half expired, the Blazers held a 26-21 lead.
 
In the third quarter, the Gusties mounted a quick come back and tied the game at 29-29 in the first two minutes. From here, a three-pointer from the Gusties lifted them to a 32-29 lead. After fighting back and forth for the remanding of the quarter, the Gusties held a 41-33 lead heading into the final quarter.
 
Wolhowe finished with 11 points to lead CSB on 4-for-4 shooting from the field, including a pair of threes. Niki Fokken added nine points and Annie Dittberner had nine rebounds. The Blazers shot just over 36 percent from the field and went 13-for-24 from the line. They had 34 rebounds and 24 turnovers.
 
Mikayla Miller led all scorers with 12 points for Gustavus and Lindsey Johnson and Miranda Rice each added 11 points. Hannah Howard led the team with seven rebounds. The Gusties shot 31.4 percent from the field and went 16-for-24 from the line. They had 38 rebounds and 19 turnovers.
 
Gustavus is one of five teams to have already secured a spot in the postseason tournament. The Gusties are currently third behind St. Thomas, which clinched at least a share of the title with a win Wednesday, and Saint Mary's. Concordia is in fourth and Bethel is in fifth with one game left in the regular season.