Winona, Minn. – Megan Thompson and Chelsey Guetter teamed up to each put up 17 points each to lead the College of Saint Benedict women's basketball team (12-1, 6-0 MIAC) to a 60-55 win over Saint Mary's today in Winona.

Thompson's 17 points was a career-best for the first year, and the two's combined 34 points accounted for 56 percent of the team's total offense.

Saint Mary's (7-6, 2-4 MIAC) opened the scoring with a jumper, but senior Niki Fokken answered just immediately to knot the game up 2-2. SMU would then go on to take a 8-5 lead, but Thompson's first bucket would narrow the lead to 8-7. Saint Mary's would regroup quickly however, and would extend their lead to 15-9 at the end of the first quarter.

Fokken and Thompson would team up again to get CSB back within one at 15-14 to start the second half with Thompson making two free throws and Fokken netting a layup and a subsequent free throw. The teams would stay within two points of each other until a Courtney Nelson three put CSB up 19-17. A small push from SMU would be held in check by CSB's defense and Saint Benedict found itself leading 22-20 heading into half.

Saint Mary's came out quick from halftime and knotted the game up at 22-22 just 22 seconds into the third quarter. The two conference rivals would trade off points, and leads, until 2:13 in the frame when -Saint Mary's would go on a 5-0 scoring run to end the quarter up 37-32.

Thompson would again be the hero to close the score down to one point, as she completed a three and a free throw to get CSB to 37-36. Sidney Schiffler would take over from there converting on a layup and a free throw to give CSB the lead at 39-37. The teams would return to their point and lead trade-off playing until 2:54 when Thompson cemented a
CSB lead with a three pointer to break the 47-47 tie. Chelsey Guetter would then take over and add six points from a three pointer, a layup, and a free throw conversion to seal Saint Benedict's lead and eventual victory.

Thompson and Guetter's 17 points lead all scorers while Fokken added nine points. Guetter and first year Maddie Schmitz each grabbed five rebounds, while Kate Banovetz hauled in four of her own.

Saint Benedict will return to home court on Jan. 10 when they host St. Catherine's in Claire Lynch Hall for a 7 p.m. tip-off.