ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict basketball team (2-1, 0-0 MIAC) will open the MIAC schedule with a road encounter at Saint Mary's (2-2, 0-2 MIAC) at 7 p.m., on Wednesday, Nov. 29 in Winona, Minn.

After the match up with the Cardinals, CSB's next scheduled home game is set for Saturday, Dec. 2 when the Bennies host Hamline at 1 p.m., at Claire Lynch Hall. 
 
CSB wins Tip-Off Tournament to open the season
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 by posting wins over 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. Just before the Thanksgiving break, CSB dropped an 82-75 decision at UW-River Falls despite a career-high 26 points by Sophia Jonas, a junior guard who has earned a pair of MIAC Offensive Player of the Week honors already in 2023-24.
 
Saint Mary's Notes
Saint Mary's is directed by head coach David Foley, who is currently in his seventh season with the Cardinals. SMU opened their season with a 61-56 win over Martin Luther College on Saturday, Nov. 11. They also recorded a 78-30 win over Northland on Nov. 14 before suffering two losses in MIAC play. The Cardinals fell to St. Catherine, 83-45, and Hamline, 71-47. Saint Mary's is led by junior guard Izzy Goettelman, who has totaled 11.5 points per game and 7.3 rebounds per game while sophomore guard Grace Schaffer added 7.8 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. As a team, the Cardinals average 57.8 points, 42.5 rebounds, 10.0 assists, shot 37.9% from the field, and 30.0% from the arc.
 
Series Notes vs. Saint Mary's
 CSB and Saint Mary's will meet for the 77^th time with the Bennies owning a 58-18 record. In the most recent match up on Feb. 11, 2023, CSB defeated Saint Mary's, 52-41. In the last 10 match ups with the Cardinals, CSB has an 8-2 mark. The Bennies sit 28-10 on the road against the Cardinals. In the first-ever game between the schools, the Cardinals took a 66-49 decision on Feb. 2, 1982.

Inside the numbers
CSB ranks third in the MIAC in scoring and 17^th in NCAA DIII in made 3s
As a team, CSB is ranked third in the MIAC and 47^th in NCAA DIII by averaging 74.7 points per game with total of 74, 79 and 75. The Bennies, which rank second in the MIAC and 12^th in NCAA DIII with a 46.6 field goal percentage, have a 6.0 margin of victory for fifth in the MIAC. The Bennies rank second in the MIAC (56^th in DIII) in three-point field goal percentage at 34.5 percent (29-of-84) and with 9.7 threes per game is first in the MIAC and 11^th in DIII. Saint Benedict is second in the MIAC and 58^th in DIII in assists per game at 16.3. In assist-turnover ratio, CSB is first in the MIAC and in NCAA DIII at 1.81. 

Individual Numbers by conference/DIII
With 24.3 points per game, junior standout, Sophia Jonas, is ranked first in the MIAC and 12^th in NCAA DIII. She is also 11^th in DIII and first in the MIAC with 16 triples on 38 attempts and her 5.33 triples per game is first in NCAA DIII. Senior Carla Meyer ranks 11^th in the MIAC with 12.3 points per game. 

Player Notes - Jonas leads MIAC with 24.3 points per game
CSB invite Tournament MVP Sophia Jonas of the College of Saint Benedict basketball team,  who is averaging 24.3 points per game for 12^th in the nation, has earned MIAC Basketball Player of the Week twice Nov. 13, Nov. 20. She is one of two players in CSB history (Laura Wendorff) to earn the MIAC weekly honor four times. She is the 33^rd Bennie to earn MIAC weekly honors. She has recorded 20 points in three consecutive games for the first time since Maddie Schmitz registered 22, 22, and 25 in three consecutive games from Feb. 3 through Feb. 10, 2021. Jonas now has 144 career threes and is just seven away from fourth on CSB's all-time list at 151, which is held by Amy Stifter, who played in 109 games from 2007-11. Jonas, who has her 144 threes in just 55 games, is 23 back of Darby Noreen at 167 in 102 games from 2003-07; 36 behind Michelle Barlau at 180 in 105 games from 1999-03 and 42 from the all-time leader Ashley Brown who had 186 in 107 games from 2000-04. Twenty-seven times, including twice this year, she has made three or more triples in a game. With three 20-point games, Jonas now has six 20-point games in her career. Jonas, who has 35 career double-digit scoring games, has 631 career points, and 117 rebounds with 77 assists in her career.
 
Other player notes
Senior guard Carla Meyer, who is averaging 12.3 points and 2.7 rebounds per game, has 52 double digit scoring games, including two in 2023-24. In her career Meyer has three career double-doubles. With three triples this season, now has 118 in her career, which is tied for ninth in school history. She is seven away from eighth place on CSB's career chart, which is held by Heidi Schwichtenberg (125, 83 games, 1995-97, 1998-99). Meyer has 892 career points with 309 rebounds and 72 free throws in her career. At 892 points, she ranks 23 all-time and is 64 points from 22nd, which is led by Darby Noreen (937, 102 games, 2003-07).
 
Kira Young, who is averaging 9.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, set a career high in points with 13 against Northwestern and rebounds with six against UW-River Falls. Twice this season and in her career, Young has recorded double-digit points. She has consecutive double-digit scoring games of 13 vs Northwestern and 10 against UW-River Falls. She has 45 points and 27 rebounds in her career.
 
Sophomore guard Megan Morgan is averaging 8.3 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 eight times. Morgan has 139 career points, 33 assists and nine made threes in her career.
 
Senior forward, Lydia Hay is averaging 8.7 points and 3.9 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. Hay has totaled 330 points and 209 rebounds in her career.
 
Megan Driste, a sophomore guard, who is averaging 6.0 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 is 7-of-12 from the field for 58.3 percent. She has made 4-of-6 triples for 66.7 percent. In her career, Driste has hit 5-of-14 from three-point range, scored 29 points and grabbed 14 rebounds.
 
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 736-274 (.728) overall coaching record and a 732-252 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
Sophia Jonas had a career-high 26 but CSB Basketball falls at UW-River Falls, 82-75
Sophia Jonas had a career-high 26 points, including six three pointers, but the College of Saint Benedict basketball team (2-1) dropped an 82-75 road decision to UW-River Falls (2-1) in nonconference play. the Bennies battled back from an 11-point deficit to take the lead after three quarters at 62-61. Down 75-68 in the fourth quarter, Jonas keyed a 7-0 run with five straight points for a tie in the final minute. However, the Falcons closed the game on a 7-0 run to take the victory. Jonas was one of three Bennies in double digits as senior forward Lydia Hay had season-highs with 13 points and nine rebounds along with an assist and a steal. Hay now has 11 double-digit scoring games in her career. Sophomore forward Kira Young recorded her second double-digit game of the season by adding 10 points and six rebounds with three assists. Sophomore forward  Morgan Chmielewski had a career-high nine points (six points, Gustavus Adolphus, 2/24/23) on 4-of-5 shooting, including 1-of-2 from three-point range. She also supplied three rebounds and a steal. Sophomore guard Megan Morgan added eight 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.

CSB rolls past Minnesota Morris, 70-54, in opener
Sophia Jonas scored 25 points and led three players in double digits as CSB successfully opened the season with a 70-54 win over Minnesota Morris on Friday, Nov. 10 as part of the CSB Tip-Off Tournament. CSB's 15th straight season-opening win came in the CSB Tip-Off Tourney which also includes teams from St. Olaf, Northwestern-St. Paul. The Bennies opened up 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. Jonas had six triples in 15 attempts as she totaled 25 points while supplying a pair of assists and recording a steal. She was 9-of-18 from the field overall. Carla Meyer also registered a team-high five rebounds with an assist in 33 minutes. She hit 6-of-13 shots and was 2-of-7 from three-point range.