ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – In Friday's win over Morris, the College of Saint Benedict basketball team needed until the second half to take control of the game. Saturday against Buena Vista, the Bennies only needed until the second quarter.
 
After a close first quarter, CSB opened up the game with a big second, and cruised to a 77-54 win over Buena Vista in the final game of the Quinlivan & Hughes Tip-Off Classic. Saint Benedict finished as the tournament's team champion while Megan Thompson came away with tournament MVP honors and Alex Johnson earned a spot on the All-Tournament team.
 
BVU (0-2) kept things close in the first quarter, and took a 15-14 lead late that held heading into the second. Maddie Schmitz scored to start the second quarter and put CSB back on top, and that sparked a 16-2 run that ended with a 30-17 lead for the home team with 1:49 left in the half. McKenzie Holgate hit a three and then scored on a layup to put CSB up 11 midway through the run.
 
Saint Benedict – which led 33-23 at halftime – kept pouring it on in the second half, and outscored the Beavers 27-13 in the third quarter. BVU kept the deficit around 10 to star the third, but Paris Rasheed-Moore hit a three and later Shae Olsen hit a three to put the team up 16, 48-32. A few minutes later, Tori Szathmary scored and Haylee Fingalsen hit a three to give CSB a 20-point lead for the first time, 58-36 with 3:16 left in the third.
 
BVU outscored the Bennies 15-14 in the fourth, but CSB was able to cruise to the win.
 
Johnson finished with 15 points and eight rebounds and Thompson added 13 points, six assists and five rebounds to help the team to the win. Holgate added eight points for CSB, which shot nearly 47 percent from the field and went 16-for-22 from the line. CSB had 29 rebounds and just 11 turnovers.
 
Destiny Einerwold and Erin Streit each had 12 points for BVU and Vanessa Hamlett had six rebounds. The Beavers shot 34 percent from the field, went 22-for-27 from the line and had 32 rebounds and 22 turnovers.
 
CSB is back at home Thursday, Nov. 21, when it hosts UW-Superior at 7 p.m.