ST. JOSEPH, Minn. -- The College of Saint Benedict basketball team (10-7, 8-5 MIAC) faces Augsburg (7-9, 6-7 MIAC) as they begin a three-game homestand on Wednesday, Jan. 31, at 7 p.m., at Claire Lynch Hall in St. Joseph, Minn.
 
CSB, which sits in fifth place in the MIAC with a 10-7 record, have an overall record of 8-5. Augsburg, which is 7-9 overall, owns a 6-7 record for seventh in the MIAC. On Saturday (Jan. 27th), CSB defeated Macalester, 64-49. After facing Augsburg Wednesday (Jan. 31), CSB will host the College of St. Scholastica at 1 p.m., on Saturday and then welcome Concordia on Monday, Feb. 5 at Claire Lynch Hall.
 
Durbin will coach his 1000th game against St. Scholastica Saturday
College of St. Benedict head coach Mike Durbin will be coaching in his 1000th game on Saturday (Feb. 3) when the Bennies welcome the Saints from St. Scholastica. Durbin has an overall record of 740-258.
 
Inside CSB Basketball
As a team, Saint Benedict is ranked third in scoring in the MIAC with 69.2 points per game. The Bennies, which rank second in the MIAC and 49th in NCAA DIII with a 42.2 field goal percentage, have a 5.1 margin of victory for fourth in the MIAC. The Bennies rank second in the MIAC (31st in NCAA DIII) in three-point field goal percentage at 33.3 percent (142-of-426) and, with 8.4 threes per game, is first in the MIAC and 16th in DIII.  Saint Benedict is third in the MIAC in assists per game at 13.82. In assist-turnover ratio, CSB is third in the MIAC and 59th in NCAA DIII at 1.00.
 
Junior guard Sophia Jonas leads the MIAC and is sixth in NCAA DIII with 3.1 three-pointers per game with her league-best 47 total three-pointers. Jonas who averages 13.1 points per game for fifth in the MIAC,  Jonas is third in career threes at CSB with 175 .With 1,090 career points in 77 career games, senior guard Carla Meyer is 13th all-time in points in CSB history with Jill Literski (1992-96, 106 games). In an 87-63 win over St. Olaf on Jan. 3, 2024 at Claire Lynch Hall, Meyer became the 21st player to join CSB's 1,000-point club by hitting a jumper at the 4:20 mark of the third quarter. Meyer and Jennifer Nash (1982-85) are the only players in school history to reach 1,000 points in 73 or fewer games as Nash accomplished the feat with 1,071 in 73 games and Meyer reached 1K in her 70th game. Meyer also ranks eighth in assists at CSB with 269 (Nikki Carter, 267, 2005-09). She is tied with Kelly Mahlum in made threes with 142 from (142, 111 games, 1989-93) for sixth all-time at CSB. Meyer, who is 12th in made field goals at CSB with 431, ranks first in minutes per at CSB with 33.6. As a starting guard tandem, Meyer and Jonas have a combined 317 made three-pointers which represents the most by a pair of teammates in school history.
 
About The Auggies
Directed by seventh-year head coach Ted Riverso has compiled a career mark of 457-137 during his coaching career at Augsburg, University of Minnesota and the University of Saint Thomas. Riverso's record at Augsburg is 107-55. The Auggies are led by Anja Smith with 13.0 points per game while Kalena Myers adds 9.6 points per game. Katie Manecke provides 2.3 assists per game this season. As a team the Auggies average 54.4 points per game for 10th in the MIAC and allow 62.7 for seventh in the conference. Augsburg is 3-5 in the last five conference games.
 
Experience Behind the Bench
In the matchup on Wednesday Jan. 31,  College of Saint Benedict head coach Mike Durbin and Augsburg bench boss Ted Riverso have combined for 1,201 wins all-time coaching NCAA Women's basketball.
 
Series Notes
In the all-time series between Augsburg and Saint Benedict, the Bennies have a 64-to-15 series edge. The Bennies have won three of the last five meetings in the series, including a 67-38 decision on Dec. 4, 2023. CSB is 28-10 at home and 35-5 on the road against the Auggies. In MIAC play, CSB owns a 61-13 MIAC mark. In the first match-up, CSB fell 59-50  on Dec. 8, 1981.
 
Player Notes – Jonas ranks 3rd on CSB's 3-point career chart
Sophia Jonas, who was named the CSB Invite Tournament MVP, is averaging 11.3 points per game for seventh in the MIAC. She has earned MIAC Offensive Basketball Player of the Week twice Nov. 13, and Nov. 20. Jonas is one of two players in CSB history (Laura Wendorff) to earn the MIAC weekly honor four times. Jonas has 175 career threes and ranks third all-time in made three-pointers at CSB. Jonas broke the MIAC and school record with 84 made threes a year ago. Through 15 games, she has 47 triples and is on pace of matching that performance of a year ago. On CSB's career list, she needs six to move past Michelle Barlau, who had 180 in 105 games from 1993-03, for second all-time. She is 12 from taking over the all-time lead from Ashley Brown, who had 186 in 107 games from 2000-04. Thirty-three times, including eight of 14 games this year, she has made three or more triples in a game. Jonas now has six 20-point games in her career. Jonas, who has 40 career double-digit scoring games, has 754 career points, 151 rebounds with 106 assists in her career. She has made six triples in a game three times in her career, including twice in 2023-24 (UW-River Falls, Minnesota Morris). Jonas leads the MIAC and is sixth in NCAA DIII with 3.1 three-pointers per game with her league-best 47 total three-pointers (44th in DIII).
 
Senior guard Carla Meyer, who is averaging 13.8 points for fifth in the MIAC and 5.0 rebounds per game, has 64 double digit scoring games, including 14 in 2023-24. In her career Meyer has three career double-doubles. She earned her first-ever MIAC Offensive Player of the Week honor on Dec. 4 after averaging 14.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists in wins over Saint Mary's on Nov. 29 and Hamline on Dec. 2. She recorded ninth career 20-point game in the 84-59 win over St. Mary's on Jan. 17 and has three games of 20 points or more this season. Meyer ranks second all-time in program history in career assists per game at 3.5, sitting just behind Patty Meyer, 4.7, 1985-89. In terms of total assists, Meyer is eighth all-time in assists with 269 and now ranks in top 15 at CSB in points, assists and three pointers.
 
Kira Young, who is averaging 10.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, set a career-high in points with 20 and rebounds with eight in a 86-75 double-overtime loss to St. Catherine on Jan. 13. 11 times this season and in her career, Young has recorded double-digit points. She has double-digit scoring games of 13 vs Northwestern, 10 against UW-River Falls, 17 against St. Mary's, 12 against Hamline; career-high 19 against Augsburg (12-4-23); and 11 against Macalester St. Scholastica, Hamline and Gustavus-Adolphus, 14 against Macalester with her first 20-point game against St. Catherine. Ten times she has six or more rebounds. She has a career-high four assists against Northwestern (11/11/23) and St. Olaf (1/3/23). 
 
Sophomore guard Megan Morgan is averaging 7.9 points per game, 3.9 rebounds, while also dishing 31 assists (1.8 apg) on the season. Morgan has seven career double-digit point games with a high of 20 vs. St. Scholastica on Jan. 6, 2023. Morgan has double-digit points in six games this year. She has scored eight or more points 14 times. Morgan has 249 career points, 55 assists, 144 rebounds, and 20 made threes in her career.
 
Senior forward, Lydia Hay is averaging 10.1 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. Hay has 18 double-digit career scoring games, including six in the nine eight games and eight total this year, with a high of 17 points against Hamline on Dec. 2, 2023. She has one double-digit rebound game of 11 against UW-Superior on Nov. 23, 2021. Hay has totaled 475 points and 272 rebounds in her career at CSB and 490 points and 274 rebounds overall (seven games at MSU-Moorhead, 2020-21).  In addition, she has 19 blocked shots, including at least one block 10 times and a career-high four vs Grinnell on Dec. 10, 2023. She has two or more blocks in six of the past nine games.
 
Megan Driste, a sophomore guard, who is averaging 4.3 points per game, set a career-high with eight points against Northwestern (St. Paul) on 11/11/23 and against Macalester on 12/9/23. Against Northwestern, she established career-bests with six rebounds, three assists and two steals as well as two made three-pointers (tied against Macalester).  
 
Morgan Ebel, a senior wing, has two double-digit scoring games with both this season. She had her career-high of 15 points against St. Olaf on Jan. 3 at Claire Lynch Hall. Ebel, who recorded 11 points in a win over Saint Mary's on Jan. 17, is averaging 2.9 points and totaled seven assists, and 18 rebounds this season.
 
Morgan Chmielewski, a junior forward, is averaging 6.1 points and 3.5 rebounds a game and has recorded a career-high nine points five times this year against UW-River Falls on 11/16/23, Saint Mary's on 11/23/23, St. Olaf 1/3/24 and Macalester on 12/9/23. Chmielewski also grabbed a career-high in rebounds with seven against Grinnell on Dec. 10, 2023. She leads the Bennies by hitting 31-of-62 field goals for 50.0 percent while making 39-of-50 free throws for 78.0 percent.
 
CSB Head Coach Mike Durbin has 744 career wins
Veteran head coach Mike Durbin is in his 38th season with the CSB program 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, who will coach his 1,000th career game against St. Scholastica on Saturday, Feb. 3, 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 744-280 (.727) overall coaching record and a 740-258 mark (.741) with Saint Benedict. He ranks 15th among all active coaches regardless of NCAA division and has the most wins by any active DIII coach. Durbin 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 579-186 mark in conference play.
 
2023-24- Game Results (for game recap, click on link below)
Game 1: Saint Benedict 70 Minnesota Morris 54
Game 2: Saint Benedict 79 Northwestern 70
Game 3: UW-River Falls 82 Saint Benedict 75
Game 4: Saint Benedict 74 Saint Mary's 55
Game 5: Saint Benedict 77 Hamline 64
Game 6: Saint Benedict 67 Augsburg 38
Game 7: Concordia 77 Saint Benedict 61
Game 8: Saint Benedict 66 Macalester 58
Game 10: Grinnell 70 Saint Benedict 63 OT
Game 11: Saint Benedict 87 St. Olaf 63
Game 12: Saint Benedict 66 St. Scholastica 61
Game 13: Bethel 73 Saint Benedict 56
Game 14: No. 6 Gustavus 77 Saint Benedict 62
Game 15: Saint Benedict 84 Saint Mary's 59
Game 16: Hamline 54 Saint Benedict 51 OT
Game 17: Saint Benedict 64 Macalester 49