ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict basketball team faces a tough road test this weekend as it heads to Arden Hills to take on Bethel University. The two teams – who are both in the top three in the conference – face off at 3 p.m. on the Bethel campus Saturday, Jan. 27
About the Royals
After dropping four of their first seven games, the Royals have settled in and have won eight of their last 10 games, with the lone loss coming to St. Thomas. Bethel heads into Saturday's game on a two-game winning streak after a pair of 20-plus point wins against Carleton and Concordia. Taite Anderson is sixth in the league in scoring at 14.4 points per game and Hannah Johnson leads the MIAC with 10 rebounds per game. As a team, the Royals are third in the league with a .448 field-goal percentage.
Last Game
CSB beat Bethel 60-56 in the team's first MIAC game of the year in December. The Royals led 16-6 after the first quarter, but CSB came storming back in the second to get within three, 32-29, at halftime, and then took a slim lead in the third quarter and held on for the win. Niki Fokken finished with 15 points and 16 rebounds and Courtney Nelson added 11 points for CSB, which won the rebounding battle 42-30 but had 22 turnovers.
The Storyline
CSB sits securely in second place in the MIAC with a 10-1 conference mark, but Bethel and Gustavus are both right behind and looking to make moves at 8-3. Saint Benedict looks to win as many games as it can as the regular season starts to wind down so that it can gain some ground in the national poll and secure home court advantage for at least one round of the conference tournament.
Who to Watch
Fokken (16), Chelsey Guetter (15) and Sidney Schiffler (15) all scored in double digits Wednesday in a home win over Hamline, and Kate Banovetz finished with 12 rebounds. Fokken (12.6) and Guetter (10.0) both average double digits in scoring, and Guetter leads the team at 6.3 rebounds per game. The team is second in the league in rebounding with an average 39.3 per game, and CSB looks to control the boards against a Bethel team that is always tough at home.
