ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – After 12 lead changes and nine ties, it was only fitting that Monday's game between the College of Saint Benedict basketball team and St. Kate's come down to one of the final shots of the game.
 
The Wildcats held a slim lead for more than five minutes in the fourth, but baskets from Lydia Hay and Gabby Martin put the Bennies up one, 55-54, with 1:39 left. St. Kate's went 1-for-2 from the line with 1:20 left, and then got the ball back after a CSB turnover, but Hay got a steal and the Bennies called timeout to advance the ball up the court with 21 seconds left.
 
Carla Meyer watched the clock tick down and then drove in for a basket with just over two seconds left, and that proved to be the game winner for CSB as the Bennies hung on for the 57-55 win in Claire Lynch.
 
With one game left in the regular season, the Bennies are now 14-9 overall and 11-9 and in fifth in the MIAC. A win Wednesday at Gustavus would secure the fifth seed for CSB, which is already guaranteed a home game in the first round of the MIAC Tournament Saturday afternoon.
 
Monday's game was close throughout. Neither team led by more than two points the entire first quarter, and a layup from  Olivia Boily put the Bennies up two, 15-13, heading into the second. Meyer hit a three to start the second and Sophia Jonas hit another a short time later to give CSB its biggest lead of the game at six points, but that's as far away as the Wildcats (6-15, 5-13) would let the Bennies get.
 
The Wildcats went on a short run and took a one-point lead midway through the quarter, but Martin scored back-to-back buckets to put the lead back in CSB's hands. Jonas hit a three with 13 seconds left to make it a four-point game, but St. Kate's answered with a three at the buzzer to make it a one-point game once again, 31-30, heading into halftime.
 
Meyer scored and Hay hit a three early in the third, but from there the Wildcats went on a 12-0 run to take a 44-36 lead with five minutes left in the quarter. Meyer scored to stop the run and Abigail Kuboushek drained a three to keep the Bennies within striking distance. Another three from Kuboushek a short time later made it a two-point game, 46-44, with just over a minute left in the third, and a single free throw from Soro made it a one point game again – this time in St. Kate's favor – heading into the fourth.
 
The lead changed four times to start the fourth quarter, and the Wildcats led by as many as five midway through, but a pair of free throws from Meyer and a layup from Hay made it 54-53, ST. Kate's, with 2:36 left to set up the final minutes of play.
 
Meyer finished with 17 points to pace the Bennies, who shot 39 percent from the field. Hay added 11 points, Jonas finished with nine and Soro had nine rebounds. Saint Benedict went 4-for-7 from the line and had 30 rebounds and 11 turnovers.
 
Katie Benjamin led all scorers with 19 points for St. Kate's, but was the only Wildcat in double digits. Bree Glynn had 10 of the team's 39 rebounds. The Wildcats shot 42 percent from the field, but went just 1-for-14 from long range. They went 6-for-8 from the line and had 13 turnovers.
 
CSB wraps up the regular season Wednesday, Feb. 16, when it heads to St. Peter to take on Gustavus, which is in second in the league as the season winds down. Official seeding and matchups for the first round of the MIAC Tournament will be released following the completion of Wednesday's games.