ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict basketball team pushed league-leading Augsburg all the way to the final buzzer, but dropped a 64-63 thriller after a last-second half-court shot went wide. 
 
Augsburg (10-3, 10-0) held a slim lead to start the fourth, but after going up 60-53 with 7:27 to play, didn't score again until there was just under three minutes left to play. Madison Doran hit a three and Lydia Hay scored on the fast break to make it a two-point game, 60-58, with 5:37 left, and neither team scored again until Carla Meyer converted a three-point play to put the Bennies up one, 61-60, with 2:51 left.
 
The Auggies converted a layup to go up one, and a pair of Auggie free throws following a CSB foul made it a 64-61 game with 31 seconds left. Sophia Jonas made two of her three free throw attempts after being fouled on a three-point attempt to get the Bennies within one, 64-63, with five seconds left, and the Auggies missed both free throws with three seconds left, but Martin's last-second half was off target.
 
Saint Benedict (8-5, 5-5) jumped to a 9-2 lead to start thanks to a three from Meyer, baskets from Martin and Jonas and a pair of free throws from Hay. The Auggies clawed their way into the game and tied it at 12-12, but Meyer hit a three and then scored a layup after a steal from Jonas, and a layup and later a free throw from Martin made it a 20-14 game in CSB's favor after one quarter.
 
Martin scored to push CSB's lead to six to start the second, but from there neither team was able to take a lead of more than three points. A late three from Jonas put the Bennies up 31-28, and Olivia Boily scored to make it 33-30, but Augsburg hit a late three to tie the game at halftime.
 
The Auggies took a six-point lead, 41-35, midway through the third quarter, but the Bennies went 4-for-7 from long range to keep themselves in the game. Martin and Meyer hit back-to-back threes to end the quarter with the Auggies up one, 54-53, to set up the wild final 10 minutes of play.
 
Jonas finished with 17 points to lead the Bennies, who shot 42 percent from the field – including nearly 43 percent from long range after finishing 9-for-21. Meyer finished with 14 points and five assists and Martin added 12 points and three steals. Tori Szathmary had eight rebounds for CSB, which went 6-for-11 from the line and had 35 rebounds and 12 turnovers.
 
Jen Masello had 17 points and seven rebounds to pace the Auggies, who shot 44 percent from the field despite going just 2-for-12 from long range. The Auggies went 8-for-12 from the line and had 36 rebounds and nine turnovers.
 
CSB is on the road to start the week next week as it heads to Saint Mary's for a 7 p.m. game Wednesday, Jan. 19. Per current SMU campus policy, no fans are allowed at the game, but live stats and video will be available.