INDIANOLA, Iowa – It didn't come easy, but the College of Saint Benedict basketball team picked up its fifth straight win of the 2017-18 season Saturday afternoon.
 
CSB led Simpson College 31-25 at halftime, but the Storm had a big third quarter to take a lead heading into the final frame. Saint Benedict buckled down in the fourth, however, and used free throws down the stretch to hold on for a 66-63 win in Indianola, Iowa.
 
The win pushes CSB's record to 5-0 overall, marking the second straight season the team has won five straight to start. Saint Benedict finished 2-0 at the Simpson Invite, and senior Chelsey Guetter was named the tournament MVP – the second MVP honor for her in as many weekends. Niki Fokken also earned a spot on the all-tournament team.
 
After a slow start to the first, CSB used a three by Haylee Fingalsen and a pair of free throws from Alex Johnson to take a 12-6 lead after one. Layups by Guetter and Courtney Nelson made it a 10-point game for the first time, 18-10, and though the Storm (3-2) cut the gap to two, Johnson hit a layup and a pair of free throws to end the quarter and put CSB back up six, 31-25.
 
Simpson started the third quarter on an 11-4 run to take a 36-34 lead with six minutes left in the quarter, and the Storm led by as many as seven - 49-42 – late in the quarter before Sidney Schiffler hit a three to make it a four-point game heading into the fourth.
 
Simpson maintained its lead to start the fourth, but Fokken hit a pair of free throws and a layup to put CSB up two, 56-54, with 5:38 left, and the team never trailed again. The Storm made it a one-point game with 59 seconds left, and again at 64-63 with six seconds to play, but Fingalsen hit a pair of free throws with three seconds left to seal the win.
 
Fingalsen finished with 12 points and Guetter had 11 points and eight rebounds to lead CSB, which shot 50 percent from the field and made five 3-pointers. Schiffler had nine points and Fokken finished with eight. CSB went 17-for-23 from the line and had 35 rebounds and 32 turnovers.
 
Noreen Morrow scored a game-high 18 points and Victoria Hazard had 15 for Simpson, which shot 39.7 percent from the field and had three 3-pointers. The Storm went 10-for-14 from the line and had 31 rebounds and 23 turnovers.
 
CSB is back at home Wednesday, Nov. 29, when it hosts UW-Eau Claire – which is 4-0 – at 7 p.m. in Claire Lynch.