ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict basketball team got off to a slow start in its 2019-20 home debut, but made up for that with a big third quarter and then put on a defensive show in the fourth to come away with a 61-52 win over Minnesota-Morris.
 
The game marked the second of the day as part of the Quinlivan & Hughes Tip-Off Tournament. St. Olaf beat Buena Vista 82-73 in the first game of the day.
 
Down 31-27 at halftime, Alex Johnson got things going for Saint Benedict (2-0) with a three-point play to start the second half. A foul and a CSB turnover led to a 7-2 run for Morris to put the Cougars up 39-32, but Megan Thompson scored on a layup to spark a 13-0 CSB run that ended with a 45-39 lead for the Bennies with 4:14 left in the third. McKenzie Holgate scored on a layup and a 3-pointer in that run, and Paris Rasheed-Moore had two fast-break layups.
 
Tori Szathmary and Thompson both scored late in the quarter to keep CSB's lead at 48-44 heading into the fourth and final quarter, and the team's defense held the Cougars to just eight points in the final 10 minutes. Six of those points came early in the fourth to give Morris a 50-49 lead, but Rasheed-Moore hit two free throws and Thompson nailed a three to put CSB up 54-50 with 4:20 left to play. Thompson hit four free throws down the stretch and Rasheed-Moore scored on another fast break to wrap up the game.
 
Morris (1-2) led 12-2 early, and then 14-4 before Rasheed-Moore scored and Maddie Schmitz hit a three. Thompson scored to get CSB within three, 14-11, but the Cougars scored the final six points of the quarter and led 20-11 after 10 minutes of play. A 7-0 CSB run made it a four-point game, 26-22, midway through the second, and Thompson scored on a late jumper, but the Cougars led 31-27 to set up a big second half for the Bennies.
 
Just over a week removed from the 2019 soccer season and in her first game on the court, Thompson led the team with 14 points and played 29 of 40 minutes. Holgate and Rasheed-Moore both added 11 points and Schmitz had eight. Johnson led the team with 10 rebounds and Schmitz had nine. CSB shot 34.4 percent from the field and went 16-for-24 from the line. The Bennies had 38 rebounds to Morris' 33.
 
Abby Van Kempen led all scorers with 16 points for Morris, and she also had nine rebounds. The Cougars shot 43.1 percent from the field, went 4-for-9 from the line and had 36 turnovers. CSB committed 25 turnovers.
 
The Bennies are back in action Saturday, Nov. 16, when they host Buena Vista at 3 p.m.