Moorhead, Minn.- Senior
Niki Fokken registered her second double-double of the season to help her team blaze past Concordia, 66-47, in the team's inaugural MIAC game of the new year.
Saint Benedict basketball improved their overall schedule to 11-1, and remains unbeaten in conference play with a record of 5-0. They hold the best overall record in the league, but remain tied with St. Thomas with unmarred league records.
Concordia (5-6, 2-2 MIAC) opened the scoring and jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead over CSB. Fokken got CSB on the board with just under three minutes played when she converted from the free throw line. The teams would then trade off small runs of points the remainder of the opening quarter and Cobbers would lead 16-11 at the end of the first.
CSB found new energy in the second frame, with
Breanna Gates converting a jumper just 27 seconds into the quarter. Fokken would then convert on three straight jumpers to move CSB into the lead at 20-16. The cobbers would then drain a shot from beyond the arch to close the gap to 20-19, but CSB would quickly regain control and exit the second quarter on a 6-0 scoring run to go into halftime up 26-19.
Saint Benedict established their game plan very early in the third period with
Sidney Schiffler extending the visitors' lead to ten at 29-19 when she converted a three-pointer 30 seconds into the frame. CSB would control the ball for much of the third quarter, allowing a medley of players to get involved in the scoring.
Kate Banovetz converted a jumper to regain a 10-point lead over the Cobbers and her teammates took over from there.
Megan Thompson would put up three points in the frame, while
Alex Johnson and
Courtney Nelson both added a pair of points off the bench.
CSB would close out the game in much of the same fashion, with
Chelsey Guetter, Schiffler, and Thompson all registering three points in the frame and
Haylee Fingalsen registering six points off the bench.
Fokken led all shooters in points with her 13, and matched that output for rebounds to lead her team as well. Schiffler and Banovetz added nine points of their own while five other CSB players registered at least five points in the game. Jamie Mentzer lead the Cobbers with 10 points in the contest.
CSB next travels to Saint Mary's on Friday night to take on the Cardinals before returning home on Jan. 10 to host St. Catherine's at 7 p.m. in Claire Lynch Hall.
