ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict basketball team's season-opening win over Minnesota-Morris was a team affair Friday night.
 
Eight different player scored at least five points and three players scored double-digits as the Bennies used a big first half to come away with the 64-57 win in Claire Lynch Hall. CSB and Morris played the second game of the day in the Bennies' annual tip-off tournament. Bethany Lutheran upset 17^th-ranked UW-Oshkosh 65-61 in the first game of the day.
 
Morris (1-1) jumped to an early lead, but Tori Szathmary scored and Gabby Martin had a pair of baskets to get the Bennies within one, 8-7, with less than four minutes gone. The Cougars pushed their lead back to four, but Kate Seyer hit a three and Carla Meyer added another three a short time later to put CSB up 13-11, and the Bennies never trailed again. Meyer's three sparked a 9-4 run to end the first quarter and give CSB a 22-15 lead.
 
Martin kept that run going with an early basket to star the second and spark a 13-4 run that ended with the Bennies up 16, 35-19, midway through the second quarter. A three-point play from Martin and a jumper by Lydia Hay put the Bennies up 20 late in the quarter, and CSB led 42-24 at halftime.
 
Morris came out strong in the third quarter and outscored CSB 6-2 to start and, ended the quarter outscoring the Bennies 15-8. A late three made it a nine-point game, 48-39, but Olivia Boily scored on a late layup to put CSB's lead back to 11, 50-39, heading into the final quarter.
 
Hay hit a three early in the fourth and Martin added her second three-point play of the game to push CSB's lead back to 17, 56-39, but the Cougars wouldn't go away. They got CSB's lead down to 12 on several occasions, and made it a eight-point game with a minute left, but the Bennies were able to hold on for the win.
 
Martin led the Bennies with 14 points in her first game in a Saint Benedict uniform. She also added four rebounds and three steals. Hay added 10 points and six rebounds, also in her first game as a Bennie, and senior Madison Doran chipped in with 10 points. Szathmary led the team with eight rebounds and Meyer had four assists. The Bennies shot 36 percent from the field, went 6-for-10 from the line and had 46 rebounds to the Cougars' 41.
 
Jadyn Sondrol led Morris with 14 points and Ella Van Kempen had 11 points and seven rebounds. The Cougars shot 36 percent from the field, went 13-for-22 from the line and committed 17 turnovers.
 
CSB returns to action at 3 p.m. Saturday when it takes on a tough Bethany Lutheran squad. Morris takes on Oshkosh at 1 p.m. in Claire Lynch to start the day.