ST. PETER, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict basketball team picked up its biggest win of the 2019-20 season Wednesday night, upsetting No. 23 Gustavus 64-53 on the Gusties' home court in St. Peter.
 
Sidney Schiffler hit a three to start the game, and the Bennies never trailed after that. Gustavus (14-4, 10-3) tried its best to make a comeback – and cut CSB's 19-point lead down to two points late – but free throws down the stretch helped seal the upset for the Bennies.
 
CSB (9-9, 5-8) held a seven-point lead at halftime, 36-29, and went on a 14-2 run to start the third quarter and push its lead to 19 – 50-31. Maddie Schmitz had six straight points to start the quarter, and a three by Haylee Fingalsen made it a 19-point game with 5:10 left in the third.
 
That's when the Gusties dug in. Gustavus stopped CSB's run with a three at the 4:21 mark, and from there went on a 22-5 run that spanned 11 minutes and made it a two-point game, 55-53, with 3:20 left to play. Megan Thompson hit a pair of free throws  and Hannah Johnson scored after a big block by Alex Johnson to make it 59-53 with 2:14 left, and Schiffler went 5-for-6 from the line in the final 1:13 to help seal the win.
 
After Schiffler hit the three to open the game, Thompson converted a three-point play and Schmitz hit a 3-pointer and a layup to make it an 11-point game, 13-2, less than four minutes into the game. Gustavus got within two late, and a pair of free throws from Madison Doran pushed CSB's lead back to four, 23-19, after one quarter.
 
Gustavus made it a one-point game early in the second, but another three from Schiffler extended her team's lead, and Thompson hit two free throws then scored after a steal from Hannah Johnson late in the first half to put the Bennies up seven heading into halftime.
 
Schmitz just missed her career high and finished with a game-high 23 points after shooting 11-for-16 from the field. She also had a team-high seven rebounds. Schiffler added 16 points and four blocked shots and Thompson chipped in with 11 points. CSB shot 46 percent from the field and went 13-for-19 from the line. The Bennies had 29 rebounds and 17 turnovers.
 
Caitlin Rorman paced Gustavus with 18 points and Paige Richert had eight rebounds. The Gusties shot 31.5 percent from the field – including just 15 percent in the fourth quarter – and went 13-for-14 from the line. They had 27 rebounds and 19 turnovers.
 
CSB returns home for the first time in three games Saturday, Feb. 1, when it hosts Hamline at 3 p.m.