By: Haley Jung, CSB Athletics Operations and Media Assistant
Live Stats/Video | MIAC Tournament Website
ST. PAUL, Minn. – After a first-round playoff win over St. Scholastica on Saturday, the College of Saint Benedict basketball team moves on to the MIAC Tournament Quarterfinals to play No. 4 Hamline. The Bennies will hit the road to St. Paul on Wednesday, Feb. 23 for a 7 p.m. tipoff.
Per Hamline policy, fans must be masked at all times and are required to wear either a KN95 mask or be double masked. Tickets are $7 for adults and $4 for students, and only MIAC passes will be accepted. Live stats and video are available here.
About the Pipers
The Pipers finished their regular season 18-6 overall and 16-5 in MIAC play to earn the fourth seed in the MIAC all-comers tournament – as well as a first-round bye. Sophomore Lydia Lecher leads the Pipers in scoring with 13.2 points per game. Junior Tess Hauer leads the team in rebounds per game with an average of 6.3. A close win over Macalester in the Pipers' final game of the regular season helped them hold their No. 4 seed heading into the MIAC tournament.
Last Meeting
The Bennies and the Pipers met just two weeks ago on in St. Paul for their second game of their season series. The hot-shooting Pipers came out strong early in the first quarter and the Bennies wouldn't be able to recover after Hamline took a 25-16 lead after one quarter. Hamline came away with a 65-55 victory in St. Paul after also beating CSB 68-44 on Dec. 8 in Claire Lynch. Bennie sophomore Carla Meyer scored 15 points and junior Tori Szathmary had 10 rebounds in the February loss.
The Storyline
The Bennies took on the No. 12 Saints from St. Scholastica in the first round of the MIAC tournament and came away with a solid 61-33 win on home court. The fifth-seeded Bennies now look to use the momentum of their first-round win and knowledge of the top-seeded opponents played recently during the regular season to take on the Hamline on Wednesday. This marks the team's first MIAC Tournament appearance since 2018-19; that year CSB lost to Gustavus in the quarterfinals.
Who to Watch
Junior Gabby Martin and senior Madison Doran both scored double digits in the team's win over the Saints. Junior Tori Szathmary had nine rebounds and first year Olivia Boily had seven rebounds in the win. Sophomore Carla Meyer continues to lead the Bennie offense with a 14.3 points per game and Szathmary leads the team with 7.5 rebounds per game.