ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict basketball team had No. 16 Gustavus on its heels throughout the entire game Saturday afternoon, but the Gusties took advantage of late CSB turnovers and hit key free throws to hold on for a 61-56 win in Claire Lynch Hall.
 
With two games left in the regular season, CSB is now 13-10 overall and 9-7 and tied for fourth in the MIAC with St. Kate's. Should the two teams stay tied, Saint Benedict holds the tiebreaker as it swept the Wildcats this season.
 
The Gusties (22-1, 15-1) held a one-point lead heading into the final quarter, 43-42, but pushed their lead to five, 47-42, early in the fourth thanks to a pair of free throws and a layup. Saint Benedict got within one on a layup by Niki Fokken with 6:26 to play and again on a layup by Chelsey Guetter with 5:29 to play, but from there Gustavus went on a 7-0 run thanks in part to two CSB turnovers to go up eight, 57-49, with 2:41 remaining.
 
Gustavus got a steal and looked to make it a 10-point game, but turned the ball over and Guetter scored again to make it a six-point game with 1:26 left. Guetter hit a single free throw with 39 seconds left to make it a five-point game, and CSB used a Gustie turnover to its advantage when Annie Dittberner scored on a layup to get within three, 57-54, with 31 seconds left.
 
The Gusties hit a pair of free throws with 28 seconds left, and Saint Benedict made it a three-point game again when Guetter scored with 14 seconds left, but Gustavus hit two more free throws one second later to seal the win.
 
The first three quarters were equally as close as the Gusties' late eight-point lead was their largest of the game. The score was tied eight times and the lead changed hands nine times. CSB's biggest lead of the game was four, 12-8, thanks to a three-point play by Guetter with four minutes left in the first quarter. CSB led by one, 16-15, to end the first, but Gustavus took an early four-point lead and maintained that lead until Dittberner hit a three to tie the game at 25 with 1:45 left in the half. A three by Breanna Gates put CSB up one late, but the Gusties hit a pair of free throws to go up 28-27 at halftime.
 
The Gusties' largest third-quarter lead was three points, and Gustavus used a late three by Mikayla Miller to go up 43-42 heading into the final quarter.
 
Guetter finished with 17 points and nine rebounds to lead CSB, which shot 36.4 percent from the field. Dittberner added 11 points and Fokken had 10 points and nine rebounds. Saint Benedict went 14-for-22 from the line and had 37 rebounds and 13 turnovers.
 
Miller led all scorers with 27 points for Gustavus, which shot 33.3 percent from the field. She was the only player in double digits for the Gusties, and she also had seven rebounds. Gustavus went 24-for-30 from the line and had 38 rebounds and just 11 turnovers.
 
CSB is on the road for its last two games of the regular season. Saint Benedict is at Hamline Wednesday, Feb. 15, and at Saint Mary's Saturday, Feb. 18.