ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – After an opening round win, the fourth-seeded College of Saint Benedict Basketball Team (18-8), will travel to face top-seeded Gustavus (23-2) in the MIAC Semifinals on Friday night at 7 p.m., in St. Peter, Minn.
As a result of a winter storm this week, the schedule for the MIAC Championships was changed. The semifinals moved to Friday at 7 p.m. at the site of the higher seeded teams. Then, the championship game is set for Sunday at 2 p.m., at the host of the highest remaining seed.
CSB in MIAC Tournament
CSB, which has a two-game winning streak, is 16-14 all-time in MIAC Tournament play with two titles - 2008-9 (57-48 over Concordia), 2006-07 (56-54 over Gustavus) and a runner up finish in 2001-02 (Carleton 79-63). As CSB faces Gustavus, it will be the 10
th semifinal appearance with the last one in 2017-18. A year ago, CSB dropped a quarterfinal matchup to Hamline, 78-61, on the road.
Final Look
Saint Benedict finished the 2022-23 season in a third-place tie with Hamline in the MIAC at 14-8. Hamline held the tiebreaker and thus earned the No. 3 seed with CSB at No. 4. Gustavus (23-2) won the regular season league title followed by Concordia (22-4). With a win on Feb.8 over Carleton (62-55), the Bennies earned a post-season berth in the MIAC Tourney set for Feb. 21-25. Earlier this year, CSB lost to Gustavus, 83-57 at St. Peter.
Carla Meyer led the way with 11 points including three triples, and three assists with
Olivia Boily adding eight points.
Of note, CSB Head Coach
Mike Durbin coached his 1,000th game against Gustavus on Feb. 1. Durbin has 734 wins with 571 coming in conference play.
Fans can follow the CSB and Gustavus game by
clicking here for live stats/video.
Season Review
The Bennies started the 2022-23 season with a pair of road wins, including a 57-52 decision over Minnesota Morris and a 63-59 overtime win at St. Olaf which opened MIAC play. In the home opener on Nov. 22 against Gustavus, CSB dropped a 64-47 decision. Since then, CSB has wins over St. Scholastica, 77-50; Augsburg, 82-68; Macalester, 67-52; and topped Hamline, 53-52, to move into a tie for first place in the league. The Augsburg and Macalester wins were at home at Claire Lynch Hall. In a battle for the top of the MIAC
Sophia Jonas hit the game-winning lay-up and
Hannah Johnson had a career-best performance of 11 points and 13 rebounds to lead CSB to a dramatic 53-52 MIAC decision over Hamline on Dec. 10 on the road. Then on Dec. 18-19, the Bennies won a pair of games in Hawaii – 64-44 over Worcester State and 69-58 over DePauw.
In the first game after the holiday break, CSB took a heart-breaking 52-50 loss at St. Catherine. However,
Carla Meyer scored 19 points and
Gabby Martin added 16 as the Bennies rebounded with a key 65-58 road win at Saint Mary's on Jan. 7. On Wednesday, (Jan. 11), the Bennies lost a 72-61 decision to Concordia-Moorhead at Claire Lynch Hall. CSB was led by 15 points and seven rebounds by
Carla Meyer while both
Gabby Martin (12) and
Sophia Jonas (13) also reached double digits in points. CSB lost its second straight at home in a 68-64 setback to conference leader Bethel despite 21 points from
Carla Meyer and 18 by
Sophia Jonas. The Bennies were able to bounce back with a road win against Carleton, 64-61. CSB was led by
Sophia Jonas with 20 points and a career-high of six three-pointers while both
Carla Meyer (14) and
Olivia Boily (10) reached double digits. On Wednesday, (Jan. 18), CSB was again led by sophomore guard
Sophia Jonas, who had 16 points, and senior guard
Gabby Martin who also added 10 points to win over St. Kate's (58-38). The bennies continued their win streak this past Saturday with a 67-63 win over Augsburg. Trailing Augsburg by six at halftime, CSB was able to respond in the second half to earn a third straight win. Leading the way was
Carla Meyer, who had her first career double double with 22 point and 12 rebounds. CSB advanced their win streak to four with a win over St. Scholastica, 69-46.
Carla Meyer had 20 points while
Sophia Jonas added 15 and
Megan Morgan had a career-high nine points to lead the Bennies to a victory.
On Jan. 28, CSB defeated St. Olaf, 79-50, as
Carla Meyer had a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Sophia Jonas set the three-point season record (62, 19 games) with two three-pointers and 10 total points, but the College of Saint Benedict Basketball Team dropped a 67-56 MIAC decision to Concordia on Jan. 20. CSB was led by Jonas and
Gabby Martin with 10 points each. On Wednesday. Feb. 1, the Bennies fell to Gustavus 83-57. The Bennies were led by junior guard
Carla Meyer with 11 points as she hit 3-of-5 from three-point range. With that total, Meyer, who had three rebounds and three assists, hit her 100th career three-pointer as Sophomore forward
Olivia Boily added eight points on 4-of-6 shooting with two rebounds. First-year
Kira Young had a career-high seven points as she made all three of her field goals including a three-point shot. On Saturday, Feb. 4, CSB fell to Hamline 77-58. CSB hung with the Pipers early on, trailing only 16-12 after the first quarter. But Hamline hit four 3-pointers in the second quarter and outscored the Bennies by 13 points to jump on top 42-25 at the half. CSB junior
Carla Meyer finished with 19 points to lead all scorers with her 45th career double-digit scoring game. She added a game-best eight rebounds. Senior
Gabby Martin finished with 12 points as she now 23 career double-digit scoring games.
Lydia Hay and
Sophia Jonas both ended the afternoon with 10 points as Hay had her ninth double-digit scoring game of her career.
On Feb. 8,
Carla Meyer had 22 points and
Tori Szathmary grabbed 12 rebounds to lead CSB to a 62-55 win over Carleton and a spot in the postseason. CSB, which hit 23-of-60 field goals for 38.3 percent, opened an 18-12 lead after the first quarter. Carleton outscored the Bennies, 15-13, in the second quarter as CSB led 31-27 at halftime. In the third quarter, CSB had a 14-11 edge and with 17 points in the fourth quarter earned the 62-55 win and a sweep of the season series. On Saturday, Feb. 11, Led by a career high 14 points and eight rebounds by first-year guard
Megan Morgan CSB rallied for a 52-41 win over Saint Mary's on Senior Day on Saturday at Claire Lynch Hall. Morgan was one of three players in double digits as the Bennies earned their 16th win in 23 starts. It is the most wins since the 2017-18 team had a 22-5 mark. In rallying for the win, CSB overcame a 21-9 deficit in the first half. The Bennies, which trailed 17-5 after the first quarter and 28-24 at halftime, outscored Saint Mary's, 30-13, in the second half to rally for the victory. The Bennies had an 18-6 game turning run in the third quarter in winning for the 58th time in 76 games in the series, which dates to 1982.
In the first away game of the final week of regular season, the Bennies lost, 63-60, against Macalester, despite Jonas hit a trio of three-pointers in the last minute bringing them back into the game. The Bennies closed the campaign with its 17th overall win and 14th in league play with a 66-58 road win at Bethel, avenging an earlier loss.
Carla Meyer had 17 points and five assists;
Tori Szathmary added 10 rebounds, and
Sophia Jonas knocked in four triples to finish with 13 points in the road win.
In the first playoff game of the MIAC Tournament, CSB took down Bethel in the quarterfinal game, 73-55. Junior guard
Carla Meyer had a career-high 27 points with seven assists and four rebounds to lead the way with sophomore guard
Sophia Jonas also had a big game for CSB with 18 points, two rebounds, four steals and two assists. The Bennies' rebound edge led to an 18-to-3 edge in second chance points. CSB also had a 34-to-20 margin on points in the paint and a 24-to-14 margin points off turnovers. Bethel, which was led by Courtney Nest with 13 points and Anna Garfield with 12, made 20-of-44 from the field for 45.5 percent.
Gustavus Notes
Gustavus is directed by head coach Laurie Kelly. On Feb 1, the Bennies lost to the Gusties, 83-57. Gustavus is averaging 74.6 pts per game for first in the MIAC, while giving up 50.2 pts per game as they lead the league. Gustavus, who won both games in the regular season against CSB, makes 45.4 percent from the field for first in the conference, while opponents are shooting at 35.7 percent for 1st in the conference. In three-point shooting, the Gusties rank 1st in the conference at 37.0 percent made with an average of 6.7 per game. They are outrebounding the opposing team 37.0 to 26.2 per game. Individually, Anna Sanders leads the team with an average of 12.8 pts per game and 4.9 rebounds per game with Emma Kniefel adding 10.2 points per game. Grace Benz leads the team with 7.0 rebounds per game.
Series Notes vs. Gustavus
This will be the 83
rd meeting between the schools with CSB owning a 50-32 series advantage. In the last matchup on Feb. 1, 2023, the Bennies fell to the Gusties, 83-57 loss at in St. Peter. CSB, which won 11 straight games from, Jan. 4, 1992, to Jan. 22, 1997, has a 27-15 home record with a 23-17 road mark.
SEASON BREAKDOWN
Meyer, Szathmary, Johnson and Jonas named CSC Academic All District
Carla Meyer,
Tori Szathmary,
Hannah Johnson and
Sophia Jonas of the College of Saint Benedict have been named to the College Sports Communicators Women's Basketball Academic All-District Team, according to an announcement on Feb. 21. The 2022-23 Academic All-District® Women's Basketball Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes basketball honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, and NAIA — for each gender. Academic All-District® honorees advance to the CSC Academic All-America® ballot. First-, second- and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced in mid-March.
Jonas earns consecutive MIAC Offensive Player of the Week honors
Sophia Jonas, who averaged 14.0 points, hit 50 percent from the field and hit the game-winner against Hamline, was named the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Basketball Offensive Player of the Week on Dec. 12. A sophomore accounting major from Hudson, Wis., Jonas has become the first-ever CSB Basketball player to earn back-to-back MIAC weekly honors. She is the 30th overall CSB basketball student-athlete to earn a MIAC player of the week honor in program history. She was also named the CSB Athlete of the Week on Monday (Dec. 12). Jonas, who was also honored by the MIAC as Offensive Player of the Week on Dec. 5, helped lead the Bennies to a 67-52 win over Macalester on Dec. 7 at Claire Lynch Gym and a thrilling 53-52 win on the road over Hamline on Dec. 10.
Szathmary names MIAC Defensive Player of the Week honor
Senior forward
Tori Szathmary who led the Bennies to a pair of wins this past week and a berth in the conference postseason tourney, was named the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Defensive Player of the Week on Feb. 13. In wins over Carleton (62-55) and Saint Mary's (52-41), Szathmary played a key role as she averaged 6.0 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.5 blocks (3) and 2.0 steals (4). As a result, CSB clinched a berth in the MIAC Tournament. Szathmary earned her first-ever MIAC Defensive Player of the Week honor. In a win over Carleton, she had six points and 12 rebounds, including five offensive boards with two blocks and three steals. In a win over St. Mary, Szathmary had nine boards, including five offensive rebounds, four assists, block, and a steal. This season, the senior forward has started 18 games and averaged 4.9 points with 6.2 rebounds while blocking 10 shots and dishing 21 assists. In 76 career games, including 45 starts, Szathmary has 10 double digit scoring games and 11 double digit rebound games along with four double doubles. She has totaled 373 points with 412 rebounds. In addition, she has 29 career blocks, 60 steals, 59 assists, 68 made free throws and 143 field goals, including 19 from three-point range.
CSB opened season with win over Minnesota Morris
Sophomore
Sophia Jonas knocked down five threes and scored 15 points to lead CSB past Minnesota-Morris, 57-52, on Nov. 12 on the road. Both
Olivia Boily (12 points and 7 rebounds) and Abigail Kuboushek (10 points and 7 rebounds) had career-highs in points and helped CSB to a 22-14 advantage in bench scoring. With the win, CSB improved its series lead over UMM to 12-3 with a 12th straight win in the series.
Bennies win MIAC opener in overtime at St. Olaf
Carla Meyer,
Sophia Jonas and
Tori Szathmary scored in double-digits and sparked a second-half rally as the College of Saint Benedict (2-0, 1-0 MIAC) opened MIAC play with a 63-59 road win in overtime over St. Olaf (3-1, 0-1) on Nov. 19. Trailing 32-28 at halftime, the Bennies outscored the Oles, 28-24 in the second half to force overtime. With a 7-3 advantage in the extra session, CSB earned the victory in the closely contested league match up. The key play in the second half (overtime) was from junior forward
Lydia Hay (seven points), who converted a three-point play with 16 seconds left to give the Bennies a 61-59 lead. Then, Szathmary had a pair of foul shots late to help the Bennies to the win. Szathmary recorded the fourth double-double of her career with 14 points and tied a career-high with 13 rebounds (Augsburg, March 3, 2021). With the 13 rebounds, she surpassed 300 rebounds for her career (305). Sophomore guard
Sophia Jonas continued her sharpshooting from the perimeter by scoring 15 points for the second straight game. She was 4-of-8 from three-point range and had two rebounds. Junior guard
Carla Meyer led the team with 18 points.
CSB falls to Gustavus
In its home opener, CSB dropped a 64-47 MIAC decision to Gustavus Adolphus (4-0, 2-0 MIAC) on Nov. 22 at Claire Lynch Hall. CSB was led in scoring by junior guard
Carla Meyer who had 14 points, four rebounds, two assists, two steals and a blocked shot. Overall, the Bennies had struggles shooting from the field as they hit just 25.4 percent on 15-of-59 shooting, including 5-of-27 in the second half. CSB was 4-of-25 from three-point range for 16 percent but knocked down 13-of-18 free throws for 72.2 percent. CSB trailed just 17-15 after the first quarter before Gustavus had a 21-13 margin in the second to take a 38-28 lead to halftime. CSB was outscored, 20-10 in the third quarter as the Gusties built a 58-to-38 lead. The Bennies outscored Gustavus, 9-to-6 in the fourth quarter but it was not enough.
Bennies roll past St. Scholastica, 77-50
Sophia Jonas tied a career-high with five three-pointers and four players scored in double-digits to lead the College of Saint Benedict basketball team to a 77-50 road win over St. Scholastica (0-5, 0- on Nov. 30 in MIAC action. St. Ben's scored 20 points or more in three of four quarters for the first time this year. The Bennies took control of the game with a 14-2 run in the second quarter which pushed the lead to 40-24 at the break. The Bennies hit a season-best 41.5 percent from the field by making 27-of-65 field goals. In the opening half, CSB was particularly effective by hitting 16-of-31 field goals for 51 percent.
Jonas has 22 as CSB turns back Augsburg
In winning its second straight game and fourth in five outings, the College of Saint Benedict Basketball Team featured clutch shooting, dominating rebounding and major contributions off the bench in defeating Augsburg, 82-68, on Dec. 3 at Claire Lynch Hall. CSB had career-best performances off the bench from sophomore forward
Olivia Boily (13 points), first-year guard
Megan Morgan (seven points) as well as a near career-high from sophomore sharpshooter
Sophia Jonas (22 points). CSB jumped to a 21-18 lead after one quarter and led, 43-30, at the halftime break. With a 39-38 edge in the second half, the Bennies came away with a season-high in points in its best game of the young season. In total, CSB had three players in double digits as junior point guard
Carla Meyer had 17 points to go with eight assists, five rebounds and two steals.
Bennies cruise past Macalester, 67-52
The trio of
Carla Meyer,
Gabby Martin and
Sophia Jonas all scored 15 points to lead the College of Saint Benedict Basketball Team to its third straight win in a 67-52 MIAC win over Macalester on Dec. 7th at Claire Lynch Hall. Early on, the game was close as the Bennies led, 13-11, at the first quarter break. With an 18-10 margin in the second quarter, CSB took a 31-21 lead to halftime. The Scots outscored CSB, 17-16, in the third quarter to stay within 47-38 at the third quarter break before the Bennies had a 20-14 margin to record a third straight double-digit win.
CSB records a dramatic win over Hamline
Sophia Jonas hit the game-winning lay-up and
Hannah Johnson had a career-best performance of 11 points and 13 rebounds to lead the College of Saint Benedict to a dramatic 53-52 road MIAC decision over Hamline on Dec. 10. With the victory, Saint Ben's won its fourth straight game to move into a tie for first place in the MIAC with Bethel and Hamline. Of the six total lead changes in the game, four of them came in the final minute, culminated by a lay-up from Jonas with seven seconds left. CSB, which led by as many as 14 points in the first half, called a timeout after Hamline had taken a 52-51 lead with 10 seconds to go on a lay-up from Lyndia Lecher. Then, Jonas made the shot to lift CSB into first place. The Bennies started fast by grabbing a 12-7 lead after the first quarter and took a 28-17 lead to the halftime break with a 16-10 advantage in the second quarter. Hamline rallied with a 19-13 edge in the third quarter to draw within 41-36 of CSB. Then, the Pipers had a 16-12 advantage in the fourth quarter and twice took the lead late.
Jonas and Meyer help Bennies over Worcester State
Sophia Jonas scored 15 points and
Carla Meyer added 14 as CSB defeated Worcester State (4-7) at the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium in Hilo, Hawaii on Dec. 18. Saint Ben's jumped to a 19-9 lead after one quarter and held a 35-16 margin at the half. With a 13-6 advantage in the third quarter, the Bennies opened a game-high 26-point lead and cruised to the nonconference win. Jonas tied her career-high in made three-pointers with five and had 15 points along with three rebounds and one assist in 23 minutes. Meyer also had a standout game for the Bennies with 14 points, three rebounds and six assists. Overall, CSB finished 24-of-53 from the field for 45.3 percent while making 9-of-28 from the three-point line for 32.1 percent. On defense, they held Worcester State to 29.1 percent from the field on 16-of-55 shooting and just 3-of-16 from three-point range.
Meyer leads CSB to 69-58 win over DePauw
Led by 20 points from
Carla Meyer, finished 2-0 at the Big Island Classic with a 69-58 decision over DePauw (5-5) in nonconference play on Monday night (Dec. 19). With a sizzling shooting performance in the first half, CSB, which had four players record double-digit points games, opened a 42-28 lead as the Bennies hit 10-of-17 shots for 58.8 percent in the second quarter. Then, the Bennies outscored DePauw, 14-12 in the third quarter for a 56-40 lead and held off the Tigers in the fourth quarter. As a result, the Bennies finished nonconference play, 3-0. Against DePauw, she hit 7-of-20 field goals while grabbing seven rebounds, dishing three assists, and registering a steal. Three others –
Olivia Boily,
Gabby Martin and
Lydia Hay -- all had 10 points. CSB, which led by as many as 19 points (59-40, 9:49, fourth quarter), had a 41-40 rebound edge and forced 13 turnovers, which resulted in a 19-to-6 margin over the Tigers.
CSB falls at St. Catherine, 52-50
CSB, which had 13 points from
Sophia Jonas and 12 by
Carla Meyer, had a six-game winning streak end in a 52-50 MIAC road loss to St. Catherine (5-2, 5-2 MIAC) at the Butler Center on Jan. 5. The Bennies trailed 9-8 after one quarter before taking a 24-20 lead to halftime after a three-point play from sophomore
Olivia Boily. Led by Meyer and Jonas with six points each, the Bennies took a 40-29 lead after the third quarter. However, the Wildcats responded with a big fourth quarter, which included a 23-10 run, for a 52-50 win. CSB had a couple of opportunities to tie in the final seconds, but the ball did not drop.
Meyer and Martin lead Bennies to road win at Saint Mary's
Led by 19 points from
Carla Meyer and 16 from
Gabby Martin, CSB moved move into a tie for first place in the MIAC with a 65-58 road win at Saint Mary on Jan. 7. CSB had eight points from Meyer in the opening quarter to take a 20-10 lead and with a 16-to-11 edge in the second quarter built a 36-21 halftime lead. But the Cardinals rebounded in the third quarter by outscoring the Bennies, 24-to-11 to cut the lead to 47-45. After Saint Mary's tied it early in the fourth quarter, CSB had a 6-0 run to rebuild a six-point lead and finished with a seven-point win (65-58).
Bennies Falls to Concordia
CSB was led by
Carla Meyer with 15 points alongside
Sophia Jonas with 13 points and
Gabby Martin with 12. The difference in the game was a 19-to-11 free throw edge by the Cobbers, as they made 15 in a row in the final quarter. After Concordia took an 18-15 lead at the first quarter break, CSB outscored them, 8-5, to force a 23-23 tie at halftime. Both teams scored 20 points in the third quarter which ended in a 43-43 tie. In the fourth quarter, the Cobbers opened on a 15-4 run to take a 58-47 lead at the 3:13 mark and finished off a 29-18 quarter for the 72-61 win.
CSB falls short to Bethel
Carla Meyer scored 21 and
Sophia Jonas added 18 but a fourth quarter rally by CSB fell just short in a 68-64 setback to Bethel in MIAC action. CSB and Bethel battled back and forth all game with nine lead changes and four tie scores. The Bennies took a 16-12 lead after one quarter and, after the Royals had an 18-15 advantage in the second stanza, CSB led, 31-30, at halftime. CSB led by nine with 8:09 to play in the second quarter before Bethel rallied. In the third quarter, Bethel had a 15-12 margin to take a 45-43 lead to the fourth quarter. In the final period, the Royals built a nine-point lead (52-43, 7:45) before they closed to within 65-64 with 20 seconds to play but could not get over the top.
Jonas, Meyer, and Boily lead CSB to 64-61 victory over Carleton
Sophomore guard
Sophia Jonas, who had 20 points and a career-high six three-pointers, led three-players in double digits as CSB rallied for a come-from-behind 64-61 MIAC road victory over Carleton. After the first quarter, CSB had a 19-11 second quarter edge to lead 30-28 at the break. The game was tied at 49 after three-quarters before senior
Tori Szathmary had two clutch baskets and first-year guard
Megan Morgan's made a pair of clutch free throws in the final seconds as CSB held on for a 64-61 win.
Dominant defensive effort leads CSB to a 58-38 win over St. Catherine
The offense was again led by sophomore guard
Sophia Jonas, who had 16 points, including 5-of-11 from three-point range, while grabbing two rebounds and handing out two assists. Senior guard
Gabby Martin also reached double digits for the 21st time in her career with 10 points while grabbing six rebounds and handing out two assists. Hay had seven points and four rebounds while Szathmary totaled seven points with six rebounds. Saint Ben's, which led by as many as 24 points (3:15, 4th quarter), never trailed in the game. They had a 9-6 lead after the first quarter and built a 23-15 halftime lead. With a 13-to-9 edge in the third quarter, the Bennies took a 36-24 lead to the fourth quarter. Then, CSB had a 22-to-14 margin for the 20-point win.
Meyer records career-first double-double to lead CSB to a 67-63 win over Augsburg
Trailing Augsburg by six at halftime, and not having looked particularly crisp, Junior
Carla Meyer and the Bennies answered resoundingly in the final two quarters of play to record a third-straight win. Meyer finished with 22 points – 16 of them coming in the second half and 12 rebounds.
Sophia Jonas also added 11 points alongside
Lydia Hay with 9 points and
Olivia Boily with 8 points.
Led by Meyer, Jonas, and Morgan, CSB rolls past St. Scholastica
Carla Meyer had 20 points while
Sophia Jonas added 15 and
Megan Morgan had a career-high nine points. CSB opened a 13-6 lead after one quarter but was outscored, 18-17, as the margin was cut to 30-24 at halftime. In the third quarter, CSB shot 45 percent and knocked in 3-of-5 triples for a 21-10 run to lead 51-34 at the break. The Bennies also had an 18-12 fourth quarter as they outscored the visitors 39-22 in the second half. Saint Ben's controlled action as they led for 34 minutes. In controlling action, CSB hit 24-of-60 field goals for 40 percent, including 6-of-19 from three-point range for 31.6 percent. In addition, the Bennies made 78.9 percent from the foul line on 15-of-19 shooting.
CSB rolls to fifth straight in 79-50 win over St. Olaf
With a double-double (16 points, 10 rebounds) from
Carla Meyer and double-digit scoring from
Lydia Hay (12),
Tori Szathmary (12) and
Sophia Jonas (10) the College of Saint Benedict (14-4, 11-4 MIAC) rolled to a fifth straight victory in a 79-50 MIAC decision over St. Olaf (8-10, 5-10 MIAC) on Jan. 28 at home. After taking a 21-18 lead through the first quarter, CSB took control. They outscored the Oles, 17-8, in the second quarter, 23-14, in the third period and 18-10 in the fourth quarter to win for the second straight game by at least 23 points. It was CSB's seventh win by double-digit margin and it was the team's biggest overall margin this season.
Sophia Jonas sets three-point season record but Bennies fall to Concordia
Sophia Jonas set the three-point season record, but the College of Saint Benedict Basketball Team dropped a 67-56 MIAC decision to Concordia (Minn.) on Jan. 30. Saint Ben's came out fast, jumping to a 24-14 lead after the first quarter and building a 37-25 lead at the halftime break by outscoring the Cobbers, 13-11. Jonas hit a pair of three-pointers in the first quarter to give her 62 on the season - sixth in DII and one better than the record of 61 by Joyce Spanier in 1990-91. Jonas set the record in 19 games and still has six regular season games to play plus the possibility of postseason play. However, the game was the tale of two halves as CSB was outscored 42-19 in the second half. Concordia had a 25-13 edge in the third quarter to draw the game even at 50-50. With a 17-6 fourth quarter, the Cobbers picked up their second win of the season over the Bennies.
Meyer hits 100th career 3 but CSB falls to Gustavus
Carla Meyer had 11 points, including her 100th career three-pointer, but a hot-shooting Gustavus Adolphus squad earned an 83-57 win over the College of Saint Benedict Basketball Team on Wednesday night in MIAC action. The Bennies were led by junior guard
Carla Meyer with 11 points as she hit 3-of-5 from three-point range. With that total, Meyer, who had three rebounds and three assists, hit her 100th career three-pointer in her 44th career double-digit scoring game. Sophomore forward
Olivia Boily added eight points on 4-of-6 shooting with two rebounds. First-year
Kira Young had a career-high seven points as she made all three of her field goals including a three-point shot. Senior guard
Gabby Martin had six points and a team high six rebounds.
Sophia Jonas had six points including a pair of threes as she now has 64 in her career. First-year
Megan Morgan had six points while first-year guard
Megan Driste hit her first career-three-point shot.
CSB falls to Hamline in MIAC play
CSB junior
Carla Meyer finished with 19 points to lead all scorers with her 45th career double-digit scoring game. She added a game-best eight rebounds. Senior
Gabby Martin finished with 12 points as she now 23 career double-digit scoring games.
Lydia Hay ended the afternoon with 10 points and her ninth double-digit scoring game of her career.
Sophia Jonas also added 10 points marking it as her 26th career double-digit scoring game.
Sophia Jonas felt pretty good about the energy she felt from her team going into Saturday afternoon's MIAC matchup but that did not necessarily carry over into the game's first half. The result was a hole the Bennies were never able to crawl out of, falling 77-58.
Meyer and Szathmary lead CSB to win over Carleton and punch ticket into MIAC tourney
Carla Meyer had 22 points and
Tori Szathmary grabbed 12 rebounds to lead the Bennies to a 62-55 win over Carleton and a spot in the postseason. CSB is now tied for fourth in the league with Bethel at 12-7 and have clinched one of six spots in the MIAC Postseason Tournament. The 15 wins by the Bennies is tied for the mark of a year ago with the 12 victories the most since 2017-18 (16). CSB, which hit 23-of-60 field goals for 38.3 percent, opened an 18-12 lead after the first quarter. Carleton outscored the Bennies, 15-13, in the second quarter as CSB led 31-27 at halftime. In the third quarter, CSB had a 14-11 edge and with 17 points in the fourth quarter earned the 62-55 win and a sweep of the season series.
Morgan scores career-high 14 to lead CSB to a 52-41 win over St. Mary's
Led by a career high 14 points and eight rebounds by first-year guard
Megan Morgan, the College of Saint Benedict Basketball Team rallied for a 52-41 win over Saint Mary's on Senior Day on Saturday Feb. 11 at Claire Lynch Hall. Morgan was one of three players in double digits as the Bennies earned their 16th win in 23 starts. It is the most wins since the 2017-18 team had a 22-5 mark. At 13-7 in the MIAC, Saint Ben's, which has clinched a MIAC playoff berth, sits in fourth place in the league with its second straight win. In rallying for the win, CSB overcame a 21-9 deficit in the first half. The Bennies, which trailed 17-5 after the first quarter and 28-24 at halftime, outscored Saint Mary's, 30-13, in the second half to rally for the victory. The Bennies had an 18-6 game turning run in the third quarter in winning for the 58th time in 76 games in the series, which dates to 1982.
Despite a furious last minute rally, CSB Basketball falls to Macalester, 63-60
Sophia Jonas hit a trio of three-pointers to lead a furious last-minute rally that fell just short as the College of Saint Benedict Basketball Team (16-8, 13-8 MIAC) dropped a 63-60 MIAC decision on the road to Macalester (7-17, 6-15 MIAC) on Wednesday night (Feb. 15).With the setback, CSB, which had a double double from
Carla Meyer of 12 points and 14 rebounds, fell to 16-8 overall. CSB trailed 58-45 with 1:20 to play in the game before the Bennies hit five straight three pointers, including three by Jonas, to draw within, 63-60 with 20 seconds left to play. Saint Ben's had two chances in the final 15 seconds, but the shots were offline.
CSB Basketball clinches No. 4 seed in MIAC Tourney with 66-58 road win at Bethel
Going into Saturday afternoon's regular-season finale, the College of Saint Benedict and Bethel basketball teams already knew they'd be seeing each other again in the first round of the MIAC women's basketball playoffs Tuesday night. The only question was where that game would be played. Junior
Carla Meyer and her teammates made sure the answer was Claire Lynch Hall.
Meyer finished with 17 points, five assists and two rebounds as the Bennies jumped out to a 12-point halftime lead, then held off a Royals' comeback attempt down the stretch to beat Bethel 66-58 at the Robertson Center in Arden Hills. The victory means CSB (14-8 MIAC, 17-8 overall) will be the No. 4 seed in next week's conference postseason and will play host to the fifth-seeded Royals (12-10, 12-13) in the first round at 7 p.m. Tuesday in St. Joseph. CSB has the most wins in a season (17) and conference wins (14) since 2017-18 when they were 22-5 and 16-2 in the MIAC.
Carla Meyer leads CSB to 73-55 win over Bethel in MIAC Quarterfinals
Junior guard
Carla Meyer had a career-high 27 points with seven assists and four rebounds to lead CSB to a 73-55 win over Bethel in the quarterfinal round of the MIAC Postseason Tourney on Tuesday night. The Bennies hit on 52.8 percent from the field on 28-of-53 shooting, including 8-of-14 from three-point range. It was the second-best field goal shooting performance of the season for the Bennies. And CSB made eight or more triples for the seventh time this year with a season-best three-point percentage shooting effort. Sophomore guard
Sophia Jonas also had a big game for CSB with 18 points, two rebounds, four steals and two assists. Jonas made 7-of-11 from the field, including 4-of-6 from three-point range. The Bennies' rebound edge led to an 18-to-3 edge in second chance points. CSB also had a 34-to-20 margin on points in the paint and a 24-to-14 margin points off turnovers. Bethel, which was led by Courtney Nest with 13 points and Anna Garfield with 12, made 20-of-44 from the field for 45.5 percent.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
Inside look at CSB
This year, St. Benedict is averaging 63.1 points per game for fourth in the league while allowing 57.9 for third in the MIAC. The Bennies rank sixth in the league with 6.6 made three-pointers per game (169 total). In addition, defensively, CSB is holding opponents to 29.0 percent shooting (3rd, MIAC) from three-point range and 37.9 percent (5th, MIAC) overall from the field. The Bennies are ranked third in rebounds at 37.3 per game and fourth in offensive boards at 12.0 per outing.
CSB rankings in MIAC and DIII
The Bennies have two of the top scorers in the MIAC. Junior guard
Carla Meyer is averaging 15.2 for fifth in the league while
Sophia Jonas is putting up 13.0 ppg for 10th in the league. Jonas ranks first in the MIAC and ninth NCAA DIII at 3.12 three-pointers per game (league high 81 total). Jonas also ranks 20
th in three-point field goal percentage at 39.7 and is tied for fifth total three-pointers at 81 in NCAA DIII. Meyer is tied for first in the league (107th in DII) with 3.7 assists (96 total, 75
th in DII) per game and third in the MIAC in assist-turnover ratio at 1.86. This year, CSB has outrebounded opponents in 15-of-26 games. The Bennies have a high of 51 rebounds (St. Olaf, 1/28/23) and have 15 times forced more turnovers than opponents. In fact, CSB has forced over 20 turnovers on four occasions. In terms of assists, CSB has had more assists than their opponents 20-of-26 games.
Of note, Meyer (114) and Jonas (125) both have totaled more than 100 career three-pointers in their career. Jonas is tied for seventh all-time in made triples with 125 with Heidi Schwichtenberg, who had her total in 83 games from 1995—97, 1998-99. Jonas has 125 in 51 games. Meyer is 10
th all-time in made threes with 114, surpassing
Annie Dittnerner, 113, 2013-17. Dittnerner had her total in 103 games and Meyer has done it in 59 games. The 239 threes in the past two season is the best total by two players on the same team in CSB school history.
PLAYER NOTES
Guard
Carla Meyer, a junior from New Brighton, Minn., has scored double digits in 43 of the past 48 games (50 double-digit career scoring games), including a career-best 27 points against Bethel on Feb. 18 at Claire Lynch Hall. She also had her second best point total against Bethel of 26 on Feb. 2, 2022. Meyer has three career double doubles – all this year after 16 points and 10 rebounds in a win on Jan. 28 against St. Olaf and 12 points and 14 rebounds in a loss to Macalester. She recorded her first career double-double with 22 points and 12 rebounds over Augsburg on Jan. 21. Meyer, who is averaging 15.2 points per game for fifth in the MIAC, averaging 14.8 points per game for sixth in the MIAC. She has grabbed 5.5 rebounds with 3.7 (96) assists per game for second in the MIAC. Meyer, who has made a career-best four three pointers in a game eight times, has totaled 848 points (career-high 396 in 2022-23), 296 rebounds (138 this year), 114 three-pointers (32.4 percent on 352 attempts), 58 games, 57 starts, 73 steals and 209 assists. She is 331-of-789 in field goals for 42.0 percent and 72-of-88 for 81.8
Gabby Martin, a senior from Pillager, Minn., scored a career-high 17 points against St. Olaf on Feb. 9, 2022, and has a high of eight rebounds at St. Scholastica on Nov. 20, 2021, and against Augsburg on Dec. 3, 2022, with a high of six assists also against St. Olaf on Feb. 9, 2022. Martin, who has 23 double digit scoring games in her career, is averaging 6.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.1 steals per game in 2022-23. She has seven double-digit points games this season with a season-high of 16 in the win over Saint Mary's on Jan. 7. She had five steals on Jan. 10, 2022, against St. Olaf on the road for her career best. Martin, who has made 35 career threes (152 attempts, 23 percent) at CSB, has 428 points and 170 this season. She has 83 steals, 97 assists and 190 rebounds (55 offense) in playing in her second year with the program.
Tori Szathmary has four career double-doubles, including the latest against St. Olaf on Nov. 19, 2022. She has 10 double-digit rebounds totals with a career-high in rebounds of 13 against Augsburg on the road on March 3, 2021, and against St. Olaf on Nov. 22, 2022. This season Szathmary, who was named MIAC Defensive Player of the Week on Feb. 13, is averaging 5.0 points and a team-best 6.6 rebounds per game which places her 12th in the MIAC. She has 13 blocked shots this season and 32 in her career. She set a career-best in points with 17 against Bethany Lutheran on Nov. 13, 2021. Originally of Lakewood, Colo., she has played in 79 games (49 starts) at CSB. Szathmary has scored double-digits 10 times. Szathmary has 389 (110 in 2022-23) career points with 440 career rebounds (145 this year). The co-president of the SAAC, she has 142 career offensive boards and 53 this year. Szathmary is 151-of-410 from the floor for 36.8 percent and 19-of-71 from three-point range for 26.8 percent. She has 68 made free throws in 133 attempts for 51.1 percent.
Junior forward
Lydia Hay has recorded 10 double-digit scoring games, and reached double digits in rebounds once (11, Wisconsin-Superior, 11/23/21). She has five double-digit games this year. This year, Hay is averaging 5.8 points and 3.8 rebounds per game with 12 blocked shots. Originally of Maple Grove, Minn., Hay, who has 309 points and 195 rebounds in her career, scored a career-best 14 points against Macalester on 12/11/21. In 56 career games, including 48 at CSB, she has hit 116-of-328 field goals for 34.6 percent (110-of-318 for 34.6 percent at CSB) and is 31-of-138 from three-point range. She has 35 blocks, 21 steals, 39 assists and 197 rebounds (56 on offense). She has made 46-of-68 free throws for 67.6 percent.
Sophomore wing
Sophia Jonas, who is now the career leader for a season in made three-pointers with 81 (61, Joyce Spanier, 1990-91), has scored double-digits in 22 of the 26 games, including 14straight, this season. Jonas, who ranks 10th in the MIAC with 13.o per game, has twice earned MIAC Offensive Player of the Week in 2022-23 and by doing it in consecutive weeks on Dec. 5 and 12, is the first in school history with that noteworthy honor. She now has 28 career double-digit scoring games, including three 20-point games. Jonas earned her first-ever MIAC Offensive Player of the Week honor on Dec. 5, as she averaged 19.5 points and hit 55.6 percent of her three-pointers (10-of-18) in wins over St. Scholastic and Augsburg. On Dec. 12, she was honored again by the MIAC after averaging 14.0 points, hitting 50 percent from the field, and hitting the game-winner in a 53-52 road win at Hamline. Jonas set a career-high six made three-pointers in the 64-61 road win at Carleton on Jan. 16, 2023. She has made five triples or more six times in her career. Overall, this year, she is 81-of-204 on made threes for 39.7 percent for second the MIAC and 20th in DIII. Her 81 threes put her at first in the league and 6th in NCAA DIII and her 3.12 per game is best in the MIAC and ninth in DIII. She is averaging 2.3 rebounds and has 35 career steals. On Jan. 10, 2022, against St. Olaf, she set her career high with 23 points. On Jan. 30, 2022, against Concordia, she broke the all-time record (61) of most three-pointers in a season and now has 81. She also holds the school record of 204 attempted threes (
Carla Meyer, 139). Twenty-four times, she has hit three or more three-pointers in a game. She has 547 career points, 125 (353 attempts, 35.4%) made three-pointers and 110 rebounds. Jonas has made 188-of 525 goals for 35.8% and converted 46-of-57 for 80.7 percent on free throws. She has 35 steals and 70 assists in her career.
Sophomore
Olivia Boily, who is averaging 7.0 points and 4.2 rebounds per game, set a career-best with 13 points vs Augsburg on Dec. 3, 2022. She has five double-digit point games in 2022-23 and in her career. Boily set her career-high in rebounds with 11 against Carleton on Jan. 22, 2022. In 51 career games, she has 298 points (183 this year), 218 rebounds, 39 assists, 29 steals and 18 blocks. Boily has hit 3-of-11 from three-point range and 128-of-277 from the floor for 46.2 percent in her career. This year, the sophomore is shooting 81-of-173 for 46.8 percent from field. She has grabbed three or more rebounds 16 times this season and 28 times in her career. Twice she has reached double-digits in rebounds.
Abigail Kuboushek, a sophomore from Prior Lake, Minn., opened her sophomore season by setting a career-best with 10 points and seven rebounds vs. Minnesota Morris. She also has four made three-point shots in 27 attempts and 10-of-47 for 21.3 percent in her career. Kuboushek, who also recorded her first-double-digit scoring game against UMM this year, now has 90 points and 75 rebounds in her career in 41 games. She is averaging 2.3 points and 1.9 rebounds per game this year. Against Carleton, she had eight rebounds including a career-high seven offensive boards – the best total by a CSB player this year.
Hannah Johnson, a senior from Willmar, Minn., is averaging 3.2 points and 3.3 rebounds this year. She had a career-high in rebounds with 13 and points with 11 in the dramatic 53-52 win at Hamline on Dec. 10, 2022. Johnson has one career double-double and one game of double-digit points. In 53 career games, including 20 starts, she has totaled 145 points (70 this season). She has 134 rebounds for 3.4 per game and owns 27 offensive boards. Johnson has made 25-of-69 field goals for 36.2 percent in 2022-23 with 55-of-171 in her career for 32.2 percent. She has made five triples, including two this year. Johnson has 76 assists with 33 this year and a career high 34 in 2019-20. She had five assists at Carleton on Jan. 26, 2022. On Jan. 4, 2020, she made two triples for a career-best against Augsburg.
Megan Morgan, a first-year guard from Winona, Minn., has played in 25 games, with two start, averaging 4.4 points and 3.2 rebounds per game. In her debut season, she has 111 points, 81 rebounds, 26 assists and nine steals. Morgan scored a career high on Feb. 11, 2023, against St. Mary's with 14 points. She has made 42-of-79 field goals for 53.2 percent and is 5-of-22 on three-pointers. She has hit 22-of-29 free throws for 75.9 percent. Morgan made two clutch free throws with nine seconds to play as CSB defeated Carleton, 64-61 on the road Jan. 16, 2023. She has reached double-digits in rebounds with 10 in the dramatic 53-52 win at Hamline on Dec. 10, 2022. Morgan recorded three assists against Carleton on Feb. 8, 2023, and made her first career-three in a win over Augsburg on Dec. 3, 2022.
CSB Head Coach Mike Durbin has 734 career wins
Durbin, who is in his 37th season with the Bennies in 2022-23, recorded his 700th win at home (Claire Lynch Hall) on Feb. 24, 2021, in an 88-83 win over the University of St. Thomas. This season, the Bennies stand 18-8 overall and 14-8 in MIAC play, finishing in a tie for third place. Against Gustavus on Feb. 1, he coached his 1,000th career game. In 36 seasons, Durbin has recorded 32 winning teams, coached 70 All-MIAC First Team selections, 54 honorable mention athletes, 15 players All-MIAC Defensive Team members and 15 all-first year team picks. Overall, he has a 734-272 record, including 730-250 with the Saint Ben's program. Under Durbin's direction, CSB has averaged nearly 20 wins a season for 40 years and has won or shared 13 MIAC championship titles. CSB has finished in the top four in the conference 29 times in his 36 seasons at the helm. CSB has also competed in the NCAA Tournament 17 times in Durbin's 36 years, including eight NCAA Sweet 16 appearances, three Elite 8 appearances and two NCAA Final Four appearances. He ranks 14th among all active coaches regardless of NCAA division and has the most wins by an active DIII coach. He ranks 32nd all-time for most wins in a career, regardless of division. In 2015-16, Durbin guided CSB to the 500th MIAC win in program history since joining the league in 1985. Saint Benedict is the third program to reach the milestone and was the last team to join the conference. He holds a 561-173 mark in conference play. During the summer of 2003, Durbin was inducted into the Minnesota High School Girls Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. On Dec. 1, 2001, against Macalester at Claire Lynch Hall, Durbin surpassed former University of St. Thomas head coach Ted Riverso as the career wins leader in MIAC women's basketball history. In 1992-93, Saint Benedict made its first appearance in the NCAA Final Four, and then repeated that accomplishment just six years later. In the 1998-99 season, he led CSB to the NCAA Championship game, finishing as the national runner-up with a 74-65 loss to Washington University (Mo). Four CSB basketball players have received MIAC Player of the Year honors, nine have received All-American Honors and five have received Academic All-American honors. Under Durbin's watch, 20 players have surpassed the 1,000-point milestone in their careers. Durbin, the eldest of nine children, was born and raised in Howard, Ohio. At East Knox High School, he competed in basketball and football. After his high school graduation in 1977, Durbin attended Kent State University, where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in communication and public relations in 1981. He later earned a master's degree from Ashland College in sports administration. He served as an interim coach at Wittenberg University (Springfield, Ohio) for one year before coming to CSB in 1986.
