ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – After opening the season by winning the CSB Tip-Off Tourney, the College of Saint Benedict basketball team (2-0) will hit the road to face UW-River Falls (0-1) in nonconference play on Thursday night at 7 p.m., in River Falls, Wis.

Following the trip to River Falls, Wis., the Bennies are next scheduled to play Saint Mary's to open the MIAC season on Wednesday, Nov. 29 in Winona, Minn. CSB had been scheduled to host Carleton in a MIAC opener on Tuesday, Nov. 21 but the game was canceled when the Knights announced the cancellation of their season. The next scheduled home game is set for Saturday, Dec. 2 when Saint Benedict will play Hamline at 1 p.m., at Claire Lynch Hall. 
 
CSB in Tip-Off Tournament This past weekend, CSB hosted Minnesota Morris, St. Olaf, and Northwestern (St. Paul) in the Tip-Off Tournament. The Bennies opened the year with a pair of nonconference wins after defeating Minnesota Morris, 70-54, and Northwestern (St. Paul), 79-70, and winning the Tip-off Tournament Championship. Junior guard, Sophia Jonas, was named Tournament MVP after averaging 23.5 points. She and senior guard, Carla Meyer, who averaged 15.5 points per game, were named to the CSB Tip-Off All-Tournament Team.
 
UW-River Falls Notes
UW-River Falls is led by head coach, Shelby Lyman, who is currently in her fourth season with the Falcons. The Falcons opened their season this past Saturday against the University of St. Thomas, falling, 101--62. UW-River Falls was led by fifth year guard, Macy Nilsen, who had 11 points, four rebounds, and three assists. In the 2022-23 season, Nilsen averaged 14.4 points and 5.7 rebounds, while shooting 36.8% from the field. In addition to Nilsen, junior guard Kameri Meredith averaged 8.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and shot 36.4% from the arch in her 2022-23 season. As a team, the Falcons averaged 62.9 points, 37.5 rebounds, 10.2 assists, shot 37.9% from the field, and 30.7% from the arch in the 2022-23 season.
 
Series Notes vs. UW-River Falls
CSB and UW-River Falls will meet for the 17^th time with the Bennies owning a 10-6 record. In the most recent match up on Nov. 11, 2019, CSB defeated UW-River Falls 85-51.  In the past 10 games with the Falcons, CSB has an 8-2 mark. The Bennies are 4-3 on the road against UW-River Falls, which won the first match up, 67-47, on Jan. 12, 1985.
 
Inside the numbers
CSB ranks fourth in the MIAC in scoring and 17^th in DIII in made 3s
As a team, CSB is ranked fourth in the MIAC averaging 74.5 points per game, while also ranking second in field goal shooting at 46.4 percent (58-of-125). CSB leads the MIAC in made three-pointers and ranks 17^th in DIII with 9.5 made 3-pointers through two games. Defensively, CSB is currently holding their opponents to 62.0 points per game for fourth in the MIAC.

CSB rankings in MIAC and DIII
Junior standout, Sophia Jonas, is ranked first in the MIAC and 16th overall in DIII Women's Basketball after recording 10 made 3-pointers in two games. Jonas is also ranked first in the MIAC after recording 47 total points. She is first in the MIAC and  37th in the nation for averaging 23.5 points per game. Senior guard Carla Meyer is fifth in the MIAC with 15.5 points per game. She is tied with teammate Kira Young for 18^th in the MIAC in rebounding with 5.0 per game. Sophomore guard, Megan Morgan, who averages 8.5 points per game, is second in the MIAC with 4.5 assists per game.  

Player Notes - Jonas leads MIAC with 23.5 points per game
Tournament MVP Sophia Jonas of the College of Saint Benedict basketball team, who averaged 23.5 points per game in two wins at the CSB Tip-Off Tournament, was named the MIAC Basketball Offensive Player of the Week on Nov. 13. Jonas, who earned All-MIAC honors a year ago, started out the 2023-24 season with consecutive 20-plus point performances in leading the Bennies to a 70-54 win over Minnesota Morris on Friday, Nov. 10 and a 79-70 come-from-behind win over Northwestern on Saturday, Nov. 11. Jonas had a career-high 25 points and tied her career-best of six made threes, in the win over Minnesota-Morris. She added 22 points in the win over Northwestern. With her 10 three-pointers this weekend, Jonas now has 138 career threes and is just two away from tying Sidney Schiffler (2016-20) for sixth on CSB" s all-time list at 140 career triples. Twenty-six times, including twice this year, she has made three or more triples in a game. With two more 20-point games, Jonas now has five 20-point games in her career. Jonas, who has 34 career double-digit scoring games, has 604 career points, and 113 rebounds with 75 assists in her career.
 
Other player notes
Senior guard Carla Meyer, who is averaging 15.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game, has 52 double digit scoring games, including two in 2023-24, in her career with three career double-doubles. With three made three pointers, she now has 118 in her career, which is tied for ninth in school history. Meyer has 887 career points with 309 rebounds and 72 free throws in her career.
 
Kira Young, who is averaging 9.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game, set a career high in points with 13 and rebounds with six against Northwestern. It was the sophomore forward's first double-digit scoring game at CSB.  She has 39 points and 22 rebounds in her career.
 
After a breakout season her first year, sophomore guard Megan Morgan is averaging 8.5 points per game while also totaling nine assists on the season thus far. Morgan has one career double-digit point game with 14 on Feb.11, 2023 against Saint Mary's in 2022-23 with a high of 10 rebounds against Hamline on Dec. 10, 2022. She has scored eight or more points seven times. Morgan has 136 career points, 35 assists and nine made threes in her career.
 
Senior forward, Lydia Hay is averaging 6.5 points and 2.5 rebounds per game. Hay has 11 double-digit scoring games with a high of 14 against Macalester on Dec. 11, 2021. She has one double-digit rebound game against UW-Superior on Nov. 23, 2021. She has 332 points and 203 rebounds in her career.
 
Megan Driste, a sophomore guard, who is averaging 7.5 points per game, set career highs in each of her first two games of the 2023-24 season, scoring seven and eight points against Minnesota Morris and Northwestern (St. Paul), respectively. Driste went 3 for 4 from the arch averaging 1.5 made 3-pointers per game. Driste has 23 points and 15 rebounds while at CSB.
 
CSB Head Coach Mike Durbin has 736 career wins
Veteran head coach Mike Durbin begins his 38th season with the Bennies in 2023-24. Durbin became the 17th active coach at all levels of the NCAA to reach the 700-win milestone on Feb. 24, 2021. In 37 seasons, Durbin has coached 72 All-MIAC first team selections, 54 honorable mention athletes, 15 players named to the All-MIAC Defensive Team and 15 all-first year team picks. Durbin has a 736-273 (.729) overall coaching record and a 732-251 mark with Saint Benedict. He ranks 15th among all active coaches regardless of NCAA division and has the most wins by any active DIII coach. He ranks 36th all-time for most wins in a career, regardless of division. He is third all-time in wins in NCAA DIII. In addition to his outstanding overall coaching record at CSB, Durbin holds a 571-181 mark in conference play.  
 
Season Review
Jonas, Meyer, and Morgan lead CSB to season-opening 70-54 win over Minnesota-Morris
Sophia Jonas scored 24 points and led three players in double digits as the College of Saint Benedict basketball team (1-0) successfully opened the season with a 70-54 win over Minnesota Morris (0-2) in nonconference basketball at Claire Lynch Hall on Friday (Nov. 10). The Bennies opened a 23-16 lead and extended the margin to nine points at halftime at 43-34. With a 12-to-9 edge in the third quarter, CSB led, 55-43, and then outscored the Cougars, 10-to-6, in the fourth quarter to grab the 70-54 decision. Carla Meyer scored 14 points hitting 6-of-13 shots from the field. Sophomore Megan Morgan added 11 points with four rebounds, and four assists in a solid all-around game. She was 3-of-6 from the field, including 3-of-4 from three-point range. Lydia Hay contributed seven points and three boards while sophomore Kira Young had six points and four rebounds and sophomore Megan Driste knocked in seven points.
 
Tournament MVP Sophia Jonas leads CSB Basketball to 79-70 win over Northwestern.
Tournament MVP Sophia Jonas scored 22 points to lead a 79-70 come-from-behind win by the College of Saint Benedict basketball team (2-0) over Northwestern (1-1) in the final game of the CSB Tip-off Tournament, which concluded Nov. 11 at Claire Lynch Hall. Jonas hit 9-of-16 shots from the field, including 4-of-11 from three-point range for her 22 points. She also had two rebounds, three steals and an assist. In scoring 17 points, Carla Meyer hit 8-of-18 shots from the field, including knocking in her 118th career three-pointer which moves her ninth all-time at CSB. Kira Young had a career best scoring 13 points and recording six rebounds while supplying an assist, bloc, and steal against Northwestern. Megan Morgan on 4-of-7 shooting from the field. Morgan added three assists and three rebounds while registering a block. Also reaching a career-high was sophomore Megan Driste who was 3-of-5 from the field for eight points, while tying for a team-high with a career-best six rebounds. Driste hit both of her three-point field goals and had two steals.