WINONA, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict basketball team got back on the winning track Wednesday night with a 62-49 road win against Saint Mary's in Winona.
The win snapped a six-game losing streak for the Bennies, who are now 7-6 overall and 3-5 in the MIAC. It also started the team's busy stretch on a high note. Starting with Wednesday's MIAC contest, CSB plays four games in an eight day stretch – including road games at SMU and Concordia.
Saint Benedict jumped to an 18-6 lead after the first quarter and never looked back Wednesday in the team's first win since early December.
Sidney Schiffler scored twice and
Shae Olsen hit a three to give CSB a 7-0 lead early, and Schiffler added a three to put the team up eight a short time later.
Megan Thompson ended the quarter with a pair of baskets to give her team a 12-point lead.
The Cardinals (1-12, 1-7) got within seven early in the second quarter, but Schmitz converted a three-point play and then scored on a layup to push the team's lead back to 12, 25-13, with six minutes left in the half. A late three from the Cardinals made it a nine-point game at halftime, 29-20, but
Alex Johnson and
Hannah Johnson scored back-to-back baskets after an SMU turnover to push the lead to 13, 33-20, and CSB was able to maintain a double-digit lead until the final minutes of the quarter. Saint Mary's scored to make it a nine-point game again, 38-29, with 3:19 left in the third, and neither team scored again in the quarter.
Saint Mary's made it a six-point game at 43-37 and 45-39 early in the fourth, but Schiffler hit a three, Schmitz scored and
Alex Johnson scored to make it a 13-point game midway through the fourth. The Cardinals got within 10, but Thompson, Schmitz and Schiffler all scored to push the team's lead back to 16 and CSB was able to hang on for the win.
Schmitz had a season-high 18 points and 13 rebounds for CSB, which shot just over 39 percent from the field. Thompson added 10 points, Schiffler had 12 and
Alex Johnson had eight rebounds. CSB hit seven 3-pointers, went 3-for-9 from the line and had 43 rebounds and 16 turnovers.
Brooklyn Paulson and Jada Biermeier both had 10 points for SMU, and Paulson also had six rebounds. The Cardinals shot 33.3 percent from the field, hit four threes and went 7-for-11 from the free-throw line. SMU had 41 rebounds and 18 turnovers.
CSB is back in action and back at home Saturday, Jan. 18, when it hosts No. 13 Bethel at 3 p.m. The Bennies take on the Cardinals again Monday, Jan. 20, in a makeup game from November.
