ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – After starting the MIAC season with a convincing win over Concordia Wednesday night, the College of Saint Benedict basketball team hits the road Saturday for its second MIAC contest of the season. CSB takes on Hamline at 3 p.m. Saturday afternoon at Hutton Arena in St. Paul.
 
About the Pipers
After starting the season 3-0, Hamline is 4-2 overall, 1-2 in the MIAC and 1-2 in its last three games. The Pipers lost 79-67 to Bethel to start conference play, beat Macalester by 30 then lost to Gustavus, 76-57, on Wednesday. Reilly Geistfeld leads the team and is second in the MIAC in both points (17.3) and rebounds (8.8) per game. Lydia Lecher also averages just over 10 points oer game, and Kaeli Stayer leads the team with 21 assists.
 
Last Meeting
Hamline swept the two meetings between the teams in 2018-19, marking the Pipers' first win against CSB since 2011. Hamline won 87-58 in December in St. Joseph, and 67-60 in January in St. Paul. Megan Thompson had 16 points and Alex Johnson had 15 points and 12 rebounds in the January meeting. CSB was within four points late thanks to a 3-pointer from McKenzie Holgate, but the Pipers hit free throws down the stretch to seal the win.
 
The Storyline
Saint Benedict is off to a 5-0 start, and looks to stay hot Saturday with just its second road game of the season. Saturday kicks off a busy five-day stretch for the team as the Bennies play three games in that time frame to wrap up the semester. A few wins before heading into the holiday break would help keep CSB at the top of the MIAC standings, and give CSB momentum for the 2020 portion of its schedule.
 
Who to Watch
Megan Thompson went off for a season-high 23 points Wednesday in CSB's win over Concordia. She went 8-for-9 from the line and as a team CSB was 15-for-19. Maddie Schmitz added 16 points and Paris Rasheed-Moore had a career-high 12 points. Thompson is ninth in the league with 15.5 points per game and Alex Johnson leads the conference with 9.2 rebounds per game. She is also fifth in the MIAC with a .615 field-goal percentage.