ST. PAUL, Minn. – Thanks to a big game on the boards from
Alex Johnson – and a big second half from the team – the College of Saint Benedict basketball team improved to 6-0 thanks to a 66-52 win against Hamline Saturday afternoon in St. Paul.
Johnson pulled down a career-high 19 rebounds Saturday as the Bennies won six straight games to start the season for the first time since 2016-17. CSB is also 2-0 in the MIAC after outscoring the Pipers 34-23 in the second half.
CSB gave up just eight points in the first quarter and led 23-8 after the first 10 minutes.
Sidney Schiffler,
Shae Olsen and
McKenzie Holgate all hit 3-pointers in the Bennies' big first quarter. In the second quarter, however, the tables turned and Hamline (4-3, 1-3) outscored CSB 21-9 to make it a three-point game, 32-29 at halftime.
Saint Benedict started the third quarter on a 6-2 run to grab a 38-31 lead, and the Bennies never led by less than five the rest of the quarter. A three from Olsen gave CSB a 10-point lead, 47-37, with 2:28 left in the quarter, and a 3-pointer from
Paris Rasheed-Moore made it a 10-point game again, 52-42, heading into the final 10 minutes of play.
Schiffler hit another long-range shot to push the team's lead to 13 to start the fourth. Hamline hit a three and a layup to make it an eight-point game, but Holgate scored and the team was able to maintain nearly a double digit lead the remainder of the game.
Johnson and Schiffler both finished with 14 points to pace Saint Benedict, which shot 37 percent from the field. Holgate added nine points and Olsen added eight. Johnson's 19 rebounds led CSB, which had 43 rebounds to the Pipers' 38. Johnson filled out her stat line with three assists, three blocks and three steals. The Bennies hit seven 3-pointers, went 9-for-15 from the line and had 12 turnovers.
Lydia Lecher led Hamline with 16 points and six rebounds. CSB held Reilly Geistfeld – who is near the top of the MIAC in scoring – to just two points. The Pipers shot 37.7 percent from the field, hit three 3-pointers, went 9-for-16 from the line and had 20 turnovers.
CSB is at home twice before the team heads home for the holiday break. Saint Benedict hosts Carleton at 7 p.m. Monday and Gustavus at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Claire Lynch.
