ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – In the first quarter of Saturday's matchup against St. Olaf, it looked as though the College of Saint Benedict basketball team might have some trouble picking up its third MIAC win of the season.
 
Then the team's defense took over.
 
After giving up 15 points in the first quarter and falling into a 15-9 deficit after the first 10 minutes of play, CSB gave up just 19 points in the final three quarters combined en route to a 52-34 win over the Oles.
 
The win marked the last of CSB's seven home games to start the season and pushed the team's record to 8-1 overall and 3-0 in the MIAC. Saint Benedict is 6-1 at home so far this season.
 
Points were few and far between for CSB to start as Chelsey Guetter scored and then Niki Fokken tied the game at 4-4. From there, St. Olaf (2-8, 0-3) went on a 9-0 run to take a 13-4 lead with two minutes left in the first. But Megan Thompson hit a pair of free throws and then drained a 3-pointer to make it a six-point game heading into the second.
 
CSB started the second on a 9-2 run that ended with a Thompson layup and put the team up 18-17. The Oles briefly regained the lead, but a free throw by Thompson and a three by Breanna Gates gave Saint Benedict the lead for good with just over two minutes left in the half. Courtney Nelson added a three of her own to put CSB up 29-23 at halftime.
 
A pair of free throws and a three by Thompson midway through the third put CSB up 10 for the first time at 35-25, and Maddie Schmitz hit a three to make it a 13-poitn game. CSB led 40-27 after three quarters, and Thompson scored the team's first five points of the fourth to help put CSB in control for good.
 
Thompson finished the game with a career-high 18 points on 5-for-8 shooting from the field, including 3-for-3 from long range. She also went 5-for-6 from the line and had three assists. Niki Fokken added nine points and Alex Johnson finished with six rebounds. CSB shot just under 30 percent from the field but hit eight threes to the Oles' one. Saint Benedict went 10-for-19 from the line and had 12 turnovers.
 
Makenna Ash led the Oles with 15 points and 10 rebounds and Samantha Tisa also had 10 points. St. Olaf shot 32 percent from the field and went 3-for-5 from the line. The Oles held a 41-33 advantage on the boards, but had 26 turnovers.
 
CSB has one more game before the holiday break as it heads to St. Paul Wednesday, Dec. 13, to take on Hamline.