ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – Saturday afternoon, Breanna Gates hit a career-high scoring mark for the College of Saint Benedict basketball team. Wednesday night it was Sidney Schiffler's turn.
 
Schiffler scored a career-high 18 points on 6-for-7 shooting from the field to help lead Saint Benedict to a 74-54 win over Concordia. The win pushed CSB's record to 18-2 overall and 12-1 in the MIAC. This is the best overall start for the team since 2003-04 and the best MIAC start since 2006-07.
 
Neither team was able to take control of the game early, and the first quarter ended in a 15-15 tie. The Cobbers (7-13, 4-9) took an early second-quarter lead, but Megan Thompson scored and Schiffler hit her first three of the game to put CSB up 20-17 and the team never looked back. Schiffler hit a second three 40 seconds later, and Alex Johnson and Niki Fokken scored to push the lead to nine. A three by Haylee Fingalsen made it a 10-point game for the first time at 31-21, and a pair of free throws by Fingalsen put CSB up 33-25 at halftime.
 
Schiffler hit another three – her third of the game – to start the third quarter and push CSB's lead back to double digits, and that's where it stayed much of the remainder of the game. Thompson hit a three to make it a 14-point game midway through the third, and layups by Fokken and Kate Banovetz helped keep Saint Benedict's lead at 10, 50-40, heading into the final quarter.
 
Fokken and Thompson scored and Schiffler hit two more 3-pointers in the first four minutes of the final quarter to help put CSB in control for good. A pair of baskets by Chelsey Guetter – including a fast-break layup – made it an 18-point game, and Thompson hit a three with 45 seconds left to push the lead to 20 for the final score.
 
Schiffler went 5-for-5 from long range to lead CSB, which shot 47.6 percent from three-point range and hit 10 3-pointers. Guetter added 13 points, Fokken finished with 12 and Thompson had 10 for CSB, which shot 49.2 percent from the field. Johnson had eight rebounds and Thompson also finished with five assists. CSB went 6-for-12 from the line and had 31 rebounds and 11 turnovers.
 
Aleya Parker led Concordia with 14 points and Kirstin Simmons added 12 and nine rebounds. The Cobbers shot 49 percent from the field and went 4-for-13 from long range. Concordia went 2-for-3 from the line and had 27 rebounds and 18 turnovers.
 
CSB is on the road for a pair of games starting Saturday, Feb. 3, when it takes on St. Olaf in a MIAC contest in Northfield. CSB is back in Northfield at Carleton on Feb. 7 before returning home to host Augsburg on Feb. 10.