Women's Basketball | 11/09/2021

ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict basketball team helped head coach Mike Durbin make history in a shortened season in 2020-21. With a full 25-game schedule ahead of them in 2021-22, there's no telling what the Bennies might do.
 
After playing just nine games last season, Saint Benedict kicks off a full schedule of games this Friday and Saturday, Nov. 12-13, with its annual Tip-Off Tournament. Bethany Lutheran and No. 17 UW-Oshkosh kick of the action at 6 p.m. Friday in Claire Lynch, and the Bennies take the court for the first time this season at 8 p.m. against Minnesota-Morris. Saturday, Oshkosh takes on the Cougars at 1 p.m. and CSB hosts the Vikings at 3 p.m.
 
Per MIAC policy, fans must be masked during games at all times. Live stats and video are available here for all Saint Benedict home games.
 
Despite the short season, Saint Benedict made history last season when it beat St. Thomas 88-83 on Feb. 24. Not only was that the team's first win over the Tommies since 2013 – in the last game the two teams would ever play as UST prepared to move up to Division I – it also marked the 700^th win of head coach Mike Durbin's career. Durbin heads into the new season with a 701-253 overall record, and he is one of 17 active coaches at all levels of the NCAA with 700 or more wins, and one of just three active Division III coaches with 700 or more wins.
 
Heading into his 36^th season at Saint Benedict, Durbin returns plenty of talent from 2020-21, as well as some new faces that are ready to play 25 games of basketball. Sophomore Carla Meyer returns after averaging 11.9 points per game last season. She recorded 45 assists in just nine games, and finished with eight or more assists three times as a first year last season. She led the team with a .431 three-point percentage.
 
Kate Seyer and Madison Doran step in as the team's leaders in their senior season. Seyer averaged a career-best 10.2 points per game as a junior and Doran was right behind her with 8.9 points per game. Seyer also averaged 3.8 rebounds per game and recorded a career-high 18 points and six rebounds on Feb. 21 at Gustavus. Doran scored a career-high 16 points on Feb. 10 against Concordia.
 
Tori Szathmary returns for her junior season after finishing second on the team with 5.8 rebounds per game last season, and she also averaged 8.4 points per game. She recorded a career-best 16 points on Feb. 27 at Bethel, and finished her sophomore season with a career-high 13 rebounds on March 3 at Augsburg. Nancy Soro and Morgan Ebel both saw playing time as first years last season, and juniors Olivia Youngdahl and Gabby Bekius look to see extended minutes in 2021-22.
 
Durbin has six first years on his roster this season and brought in a pair of transfers in sophomore Lydia Hay and junior Gabby Martin. Hay comes to CSB after a season at Division II MSU-Moorhead, and Martin played two seasons at Valley City State before joining the Bennie roster.
 
After hosting the tip-off tournament, CSB starts conference play on Saturday, Nov. 20 at St. Scholastica. This marks the first MIAC meeting between the two teams. The Bennies are at home four times in December before the holiday break.