ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict basketball team beat Gustavus twice during the regular season, but the Gusties beat CSB when it mattered most.
 
Saint Benedict's 2018-19 season came to an end in the first round of the MIAC Tournament Tuesday night when it fell 73-43 to Gustavus in Claire Lynch Hall. CSB wraps up the season 15-11 overall and finished tied for fourth in the league with the Gusties, and hosted a MIAC playoff game for the second straight season. This also marks the second straight season Gustavus has knocked Saint Benedict out of the conference tournament.
 
The first two games between CSB and the Gusties this season were close throughout, or came down to the final minutes of play. CSB led by as many as 15 when the two teams met in December, and hung on for the three-point win. Saint Benedict led the entire way in the second game of the season in January, and led by as many as 18 before the Gusties went on a run to end the game.
 
Tuesday evening, Gustavus took control early and never looked back. The Gusties (15-11) led 8-2 before Shae Olsen hit a three to get CSB within three, but that's the closest the team would get. Olsen hit another first-quarter three to cut Gustavus' lead to six, 16-10, but the Gusties took a 22-10 lead into the second quarter. Maddie Schmitz hit a three at the 8:30 mark of the second to cut Gustavus' lead to 11, 24-13, but that was the only basket the team scored until Schmitz scored on a layup at the 2:40 mark of the quarter, and by then the Gusties' lead was 22, 37-15. Gustavus outscored CSB 19-8 in the second and took a 41-18 lead into halftime.
 
Breanna Gates and Olsen hit back-to-back threes early in the third, but Gustavus had already built a 20-point lead, and kept on building. The Gusties led 63-32 after three quarters, and Gates left the court for the last time in her career with two minutes left in the game as the subs took over for the final few minute of play.
 
Olsen went 4-for-4 from long range and scored a career-high 12 points to lead CSB, which hit just 15 field goals and shot 28.8 percent from the field. Schmitz added 12 points and five rebounds, and Alex Johnson had six rebounds. Gates finished with eight points and two rebounds in the last game of her CSB career. Eight of the team's 15 field goals were 3-pointers. Saint Benedict went 5-for-10 from the line and had 23 rebounds and 12 turnovers.
 
Paige Richert led Gustavus with 20 points and nine rebounds. The Gusties shot 55 percent from the field, went 7-for-14 from the line and had 46 rebounds and 14 turnovers. Gustavus, the fifth seed, moves on to face top-seeded St. Thomas at 5 p.m. Thursday in a MIAC Tournament semifinal. No. 2 Augsburg hosts No. 3 Bethel in the other semifinal.