NASHVILLE, Minn. – After a trio of tough losses to wrap up the 2018 portion of its MIAC schedule, the College of Saint Benedict basketball team came out of its holiday break with a 60-42 win over Husson Saturday afternoon in the first of two games at the Music City Classic in Nashville, Tenn.
The win snaps CSB's three-game losing streak and pushes the team's overall record to 4-6. Saint Benedict shot just over 37 percent from the field for the game, but doubled up Husson (4-5) in both assists and steals.
Both teams got off to a slow start in the first quarter, but
Shae Olsen,
Dacoda Speidel and
Breanna Gates all scored to put CSB up 11-5, and the team led 11-7 at the end of the first. A three by
Maddie Schmitz but Saint Benedict up six in the second quarter, and
Megan Thompson scored and
Alex Johnson converted a three-point play to make it an eight-point game, 23-15, but Husson came back to make it a five-point game, 24-19, at the half.
After shooting just 28 percent from the field in the first half, CSB came out and shot 50 percent in the third quarter and outscored Husson 17-7 to take a 41-26 lead into the final quarter. Gates scored to spark a 12-0 CSB run that included threes from Schmitz and
Sidney Schiffler that put the team up 36-21 midway through third. Husson got back within 10, but Gates had two layups and a free throw to help CSB extend its lead heading into the fourth.
A three from
McKenzie Holgate gave CSB a 20-point lead for the first time, 47-27, at the 9:12 mark of the final quarter, and Olsen hit a there two minutes later to push that lead to 23. Husson made a run and got within 12 with 3:25 remaining, but Thompson hit a three and Johnson converted another three-point play and hit a pair of free throws to help Saint Benedict hold on for the win.
Gates led CSB with 11 points and Johnson had 10 points and 10 rebounds. Saint Benedict finished the game shooting 37.3 percent after shooting 48 percent from the field in the second half. Schmitz added eight points and seven rebounds for CSB, which had 37 rebounds, 16 assists and 16 total steals.
Sami Ireland paced Husson with 10 points and nine rebounds. The Eagles shot 27.6 percent from the field and had 48 rebounds, but they had just eight assists and five steals.
CSB is back in action Sunday in Nashville when it takes on St. Norbert at 11 a.m.
