ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – For the first time since 2009-10, the College of Saint Benedict basketball team got to sit back and watch the first round of the MIAC Tournament from the comfort of their dorm rooms Tuesday night. Now, CSB gets to play host to Gustavus in one of two MIAC semifinals.
 
CSB earned the No. 2 seed in the 2018 MIAC Tournament after finishing the regular season with a 16-2 conference mark. The Gusties earnd a spot in the semifinals after a 65-38 win over St. Kate's in Tuesday's first-round game in St. Peter. The two teams meet to see who earns a spot in the 2018 MIAC Championship at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 22, in Claire Lynch Hall.
 
The cost for tickets to Thursday's game are $7 for adults and $3 for students with a valid ID. Only MIAC passes will be accepted. The first 100 CSB/SJU students get in free courtesy of the CSB student senate and CSB athletic department.
 
About the Gusties
Gustavus heads into Thursday's game on a two-game winning streak and winners of seven of its last eight games. The lone loss in that stretch was against CSB on Feb. 14. Mikayla Miller (17.1) and Miranda Rice (16.9) are fourth and fifth, respectively, in the league in scoring, and Rice is ninth with 6.5 rebounds per game. As a team, the Gusties are second in the league in scoring, averaging 73.8 points per game. They are second in free-throw percentage (.761) and third with a .445 field-goal percentage.
 
Rematch from Valentine's Day
Saint Benedict and Gustavus faced off just over a week ago on Valentine's Day in the only regular-season meeting between the two teams this season. CSB jumped to an early lead, but the Gusties came back to make it a game before CSB came away with the 66-62 win. Gustavus got within two with 34 seconds left, but CSB converted from the line to help seal the win. Chelsey Guetter had 18 points to lead CSB and Niki Fokken finished with 13. Rice led the Gusties with 18 points, Justine Lee had 17 and Miller had 12 points and eight rebounds.
 
The Storyline
A spot in Saturday's MIAC Championship game is on the line Thursday night, as is a potential spot in the NCAA Region Tournament, which runs March 2-3. CSB is looking for its first appearance in the championship game since 2010 when it lost in overtime to the Tommies. Gustavus, on the other hand, looks to get back to the title game to avenge a loss in the 2017 championship game.
 
Top-seeded St. Thomas and fifth-seeded Saint Mary's meet in the other semifinal Thursday in St. Paul. The Cardinals upset fourth-seeded Bethel in Arden Hills Tuesday night, and the Tommies earned the No. 1 seed after going undefeated in MIAC play this season.
 
Who to Watch
Fokken heads into the semifinal game 28 points away from the 1,000-point career milestone. She leads the team and is 11^th in the MIAC at 13.8 points per game after scoring 25 points – including 11 in the fourth quarter Saturday in a near-win against the Tommies. She also averages 6.0 rebounds per game. Guetter leads the team and is 11^th in the MIAC at 6.2 rebounds per game, and she also averages double digits in scoring at 10.1 points per game. Both Megan Thompson (8.2) and Sidney Schiffler (7.6) average at least seven points per game.