ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – The 2024-2025 season is one day away. And College of Saint Benedict basketball standouts Sophia Jonas, Megan Driste and Olivia Boily can't wait.

It has been a focused preseason of practice that now turns into games. It will be a team in which a veteran group mixes with a solid group of first-years standouts.'

"I am very excited about this year," said CSB head coach Mike Durbin, who begins his 39^th year after a 15-11 season a year ago, which included a 12-8 MIAC mark and a berth in the conference playoff semifinals for a second straight year. "I really like our returning group and with first-year players and one transfers. They all certainly bring a different energy to our team. I think we are going to be deeper and I think we are going to be more athletic this year," said Durbin, who has coached 74 All-MIAC First Team selections, 55 honorable mention athletes, 15 players named to the All-MIAC Defensive Team and 15 all-first year team picks in his tenure.
 

Overall, Durbin has a 749-284 (.726) overall coaching record and a 745-262 mark with Saint Benedict. He ranks 15th among all active coaches regardless of NCAA division and has the most wins by an active DIII coach. Under Durbin's direction, CSB has averaged nearly 20 wins a season for nearly 40 years, and has won or shared 13 MIAC championship titles. CSB has finished in the top four in the conference 30 times in his 38 seasons at the helm. Saint Benedict 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.

As Durbin looks ahead to this team, he has a group led by a two-time All-MIAC guard in Sophia Jonas, who has become the best perimeter shooter in school history. She owns the school's three-point record with 193 and is the conference record holder for triples in a season with 84 as well as conference games of 66.

 A senior from Hudson, Wisc., Jonas is certainly enthusiastic about the team's prospects. Last season, Jonas recorded 65 three point shots which ranked second in the MIAC with her 2.7 three point field goals per game leading the conference. and 269 points (second on the team), along with leading the MIAC with an average of 2.7 field goals per game.

 "This year, I'm kind of coming in with less expectations than usual, because I don't know what our team is going to be like," said Jonas, who has 827 career points and on track to become CSB's 22^nd 1,000 point scorer. "Because we are so young which makes it so much fun where we can just put everything on the court every game and really have no expectation of what can happen. I think we are a playoff worthy team and can go really far."

Junior Megan Driste and senior Olivia Boily also are ready for this team to show what it is capable of doing when they open Saturday, Nov. 9 against Minnesota Morris at 1 p.m., at the CSB Basketball Invite.

"One of our best strengths as a team this year is our quickness and we can just use our speed to our advantage," said Driste, who scored 89 points and had 42 rebounds plus 18 steals a year ago.
Boily, who averaged 7.1 points and 4.2 rebounds in 2022-23, also sees the potential for great opportunity for the Bennies.

 

"We have a big incoming class which is amazing. With a lot of new talent, for us to be successful as a team we have to integrate those players and take the talent from our returners and new players and combine that together," she said.

The tourney opens with Hamline against UW-River Falls at 11 a.m., followed by CSB hosting Minnesota Morris at 1 p.m. On Sunday, Hamline faces Minnesota-Morris at 1 p.m., before CSB hosts UW-River Falls at 3 p.m.

After the tournament, the Bennies head to Eau Claire, Wis., for their first road game of the season.  CSB's first MIAC home game will be on December 4 at 7 p.m. in Claire Lynch Hall.

Aside from Jonas, Driste and Boily, the Bennies return junior Kira Young, who averaged 9.5 points per game last year as a sophomore. She had 247 points, 133 total rebounds (second on the team), and 224 field goals. She averaged 5.1 rebounds and had 16 steals and six blocked shots.

Junior Megan Morgan had a standout season last year, scoring 246 total points, averaging 9.5 points with 4.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists.  Morgan had 51 assists on the season and 11 blocks. She made 33-of-89 three pointers for 37.1 percent and had 107 rebounds. She was also named MIAC Offensive Player of the week last season for her first time in her career.

Tourney Breakdown –

Series Records –

Hamline vs. UW-River Falls - River Falls leads 11-3. Last meeting: Hamline 60 River Falls 67, Dec. 12, 2016, River Falls, Wis.

St. Benedict vs. Minnesota Morris - CSB leads 13-3. Last meeting: CSB 70 Morris 54, Nov. 10, 2023, St. Joseph, Minn.

Hamline vs. Minnesota Morris - Tied 3-3. Last meeting: St. Olaf 64 Minnesota 45, Nov. 16, 2022, Northfield, Minn.

St. Benedict vs. UW-River Falls - CSB leads 10-7. Last Meeting CSB 75 River Falls 82, Nov. 16, 2023, River Falls, Wis.

Notes on Minnesota Morris
Minnesota Morris ended last season with a 17-11 overall record and a 11-3 conference record. They were led by seniors Malory Anderson who had 68 assists and 249 rebounds, and Jadyn Sandrol who had 32 3-pointers, first years Maddy Grove who scored 434 points on the season, Grace Perry with 84 rebounds and Claire Stark who has a field goal percentage of .556, along with sophomores Shelby Mortenson with a field goal percentage of .562, Alice Wilkinson who had 57 assists.

Notes on Hamline
The Pipers ended last season with a 12-13 overall record and a MIAC record of 10-10. They were led by seniors, Michaela Stamer who scored 51 3-pointers and Lydia Lecher who had 287 points, junior,  Kate Trachsel who had 54 assists, and sophomores Camille Cummings who had a .370 field goal percentage, and Sophie Stork with 23 steals.

UW-River Falls Notes
The Falcons finished off their season with a 14-12 overall record and a 5-9 conference record. They were led by seniors Macy Nilsen with 416 points, Julia Seidel 39 3-pointers, and Kameri Meredith who had 128 rebounds, junior, Olivia Miron with 14 blocks, and sophomores Zoey Buchan with 255 points and Karleigh Creasey who had 35 assists.