ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – For the second time in the last three seasons, the College of Saint Benedict basketball team is still perfect after six games.
The Bennies used a big third quarter to pull away for a 71-61 win over a tough Concordia squad Saturday afternoon in Claire Lynch to improve to 6-0, including a perfect 3-0 in the MIAC. Saint Benedict also started the 2019-20 season 6-0.
After a close first half that saw the Bennies head into halftime with a one-point lead, CSB put its foot on the gas in the third.
Lydia Hay started the quarter with a three, and after the Cobbers (1-4, 1-3) took a 42-39 lead at the 6:53 mark,
Madison Doran hit a jumper to spark a 16-2 run that ended with the Bennies up 11, 55-44, with 2:33 left in the quarter. Hay and
Carla Meyer both had threes and
Nancy Soro had back-to-back buckets in the paint as part of the run.
A layup from the Cobbers stopped the run, but
Gabby Martin answered with a three, and the Bennies held a 58-48 lead heading into the final quarter.
Meyer scored and Hay added her second long-range shot of the game to push CSB's lead to 14 to start the final quarter. Another 3-pointer from Hay made it a 14-point game with 5:56 left, but from there the Cobbers went on an 8-0 run to get within six, 67-61, with 3:14 left. But Soro and
Sophia Jonas both scored in the paint and from there the Bennies were able to hold onto the lead and run out the clock.
The first few minutes of the game were all Doran for the Bennies. The senior – who recorded a career-best 21 points Saturday – scored the team's first seven points of the game, including a three with just over two minutes gone to make it 7-4. From there the two teams traded the lead, and a pair of free throws from Doran put the Bennies up 22-21 heading into the second.
Concordia re-gained the lead to start the second, but Meyer and Doran both scored to put CSB up 31-29 with 3:38 left in the half. A three and a jumper put Concordia ahead, but Jonas hit a three to put CSB up 35-34, and that's where the score would stay heading into halftime.
Doran finished with 15 of her 21 points in the first half to keep CSB in the game. Her previous career-best was 16 points. Meyer added 15 points and four assists and Hay had 11 points and six rebounds. Soro also had six rebounds for the Bennies, who shot 47 percent from the field and went 7-for-11 from the line. They had 31 rebounds and 13 turnovers.
Autumn Thompson led the Cobbers with 18 points and Makayla Anderson had eight rebounds. Concordia shot 45 percent from the field, went 8-for-10 from the line and had 29 rebounds and 14 turnovers.
CSB is back at home and looking for win No. 7 Wednesday, Dec. 8, when it hosts Hamline at 7 p.m. The Bennies have three games left in 2021, and two of those three are in Claire Lynch.
