ST. PAUL, Minn. – Heading into the fourth quarter, the College of Saint Benedict basketball team was down 13 points to Macalester. Then Maddie Schmitz took over.
 
Schmitz scored 11 fourth-quarter points and CSB's defense held Macalester to just six points to help the team to a 64-60 win Saturday afternoon in St. Paul. The win marks the team's second conference victory of the year, and pushes the team closer to a .500 overall record at 6-7. CSB is 2-4 in the MIAC.
 
The Scots (2-11, 0-6) led 54-41 heading into the fourth quarter thanks to a late 3-pointer to end the third quarter. Breanna Gates scored the first basket of the fourth, but the Scots answered to push their lead back to 13. From there, however, CSB outscored Macalester 21-4 to end the game and pull ahead for the win. Schmitz scored twice and Alex Johnson once to make it an eight-point game before the Scots hit a pair of free throws at the 5:39 mark, but another pair of free throws at the 3:40 mark were the only other points the Scots would score.
 
A pair of free throws from Gates tied the game at 60-60 with 2:39 to play, and Johnson scored with 1:08 left to play to put CSB up two – its first lead since midway through the first quarter. Macalester had five turnovers in the final three minutes of play, and missed a late layup as well as a pair of free throws. Two free throws from Johnson with a second to play sealed the win.
 
Saint Benedict led early, and a three from Sidney Schiffler made it 10-6 four minutes into the game. Macalester ended the first quarter on a 7-0 run to take a 16-12 lead into the second. The Scots pushed their lead to 15-0 and took a 25-12 lead early in the second, and led by as many as 14 before Johnson scored twice and Gates added a layup to make it an eight-point game, 27-19. Gates scored again and a jumper from Shae Olsen made it 27-23 with 3:43 left in the half, but the Scots ended the half on a 9-2 run to take a 36-25 lead into halftime.
 
CSB cut Macalester's lead into single digits several times in the third quarter, but a late three made it 54-41 before CSB went on its run and outscored the Scots 23-6 in the final quarter.
 
Schmitz finished with a team-high 17 points to lead CSB, including 14 in the second half. She went 5-for-7 from the field in the fourth quarter alone. Gates added 15 points, Johnson finished with 13 and Schiffler added 10. Johnson also led the team with nine rebounds and Schiffler had five assists. CSB shot 39.7 percent from the field – including nearly 53 percent in the fourth quarter – and went 15-for-24 from the line. CSB had 39 rebounds and 14 turnovers.
 
Justine Barraza led all scorers with 22 points for Macalester, which shot 37.7 percent from the field and went 7-for-12 from the line. The Scots had 42 rebounds and 19 turnovers.
 
CSB is on the road again Wednesday, Jan. 9, when it heads to St. Peter to take on Gustavus. Saint Benedict beat the Gusties by three in a close home game earlier this season.