NORTHFIELD, Minn. – Sophomore Madison Doran and junior Shae Olsen both had career nights Wednesday to help the College of Saint Benedict basketball team edge St. Olaf 68-65 in Northfield.
 
The win pushes the Bennies' record back to .500 at 10-10 overall, and 6-9 and tied for seventh in the MIAC. CSB has five games left in the 2019-20 regular season. Saint Benedict is tied for seventh with Concordia as both teams are 6-9. The Bennies are right behind St. Kate's, which is 7-8 in the league.
 
CSB led by as many as nine points midway through the fourth quarter Wednesday night after Alex Johnson hit a free throw shot to put her team up 65-56. The Oles (8-12, 5-10) hit a pair of free throws 20 seconds later, and neither team scored again for more than three minutes. It was St. Olaf that scored next, and a layup and a pair of free throws got the Oles within three, 65-62, with 51 seconds left. Megan Thompson hit a pair of free throws, but St. Olaf responded with a three to make it a two-point game, 67-65, with 42 seconds remaining.
 
CSB turned the ball over on its ensuing possession and the Oles were able to call a timeout to draw up a play, but Olsen got a steal – her third of the game – with 0.3 seconds left on the clock, and she hit the first of the two free throws to seal the win for her team.
 
St. Olaf led by six with just under four minutes remaining in the opening 10 minutes, but Haylee Fingalsen hit a three to spark a 14-7 run that ended with a jumper from Doran and a 22-21 CSB lead after one quarter. The Oles re-gained a five-point lead in the second, but a layup from Alex Johnson and a three from Maddie Schmitz – followed by seven straight points from Doran – were all part of a 12-0 CSB run that put the Bennies up 36-29 midway through the second.
 
The Oles clawed back into the game, and remained within two points, 40-38, at halftime. Sidney Schiffler hit a pair of threes to start the second half and push her team's lead to eight points, but the Oles once again mounted a comeback, and the two teams headed into the final quarter with CSB up two, 54-52.
 
Schiffler hit a trio of threes and finished with 15 points to pace Saint Benedict, which shot 38 percent from the field, and both Doran and Olsen had career-high scoring nights. Olsen finished with 12 points and three steals and Doran added 11 points for CSB. Johnson finished with 16 rebounds as CSB dominated on the boards, 45-26. The Bennies also took advantage at the free-throw line, finishing 18-for-25, and committed 21 turnovers.
 
Rachel Kelly paced the Oles with 21 points and six rebounds. St. Olaf shot 42 percent from the field, went 10-for-13 from the line and had 17 turnovers.
 
CSB is on the road again Saturday, Feb. 8, when it heads to Minneapolis to take on No. 15 Augsburg at 3 p.m. The Bennies are back at home Wednesday, Feb. 12, when they host Macalester.