ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict basketball team (7-1), which has won six straight games, is set to play two games at the Puerto Rico Clasico in San Juan, Puerto Rico on Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 16-17. CSB will CalTech (5-3) on Monday at 8 a.m., and John Carroll (6-1) at 8 a.m., on Tuesday as the Bennies play both teams for the first time in school history. 

Fans may follow the game by clicking on the watch live here or www.gobennies.com for updates.
 
St. Benedict, directed by 39^th year head coach Mike Durbin (756-286 overall - 752-263 at CSB) has won six straight games, including a come-from-behind, 68-62 MIAC win over Saint Mary's on the road on Dec. 10. The victory, which included first-year Tatum Findley tying her career best of 15 points, also had a 60-42 win over St. Olaf on Dec. 4 and a 72-52 decision over Carleton College on Dec. 7. Prior to that, CSB defeated Simpson, 76-69, and UW-La Crosse, 57-54, to win the Gunderson Hotel & Suites Thanksgiving Classic. With the six consecutive wins, the Bennies improved to 7-1 overall and sit 3-0 in the MIAC for a tie for first place. After the trip to Puerto Rico, the Bennies will return home to host Hamline University at 1 p.m., on Jan. 4 at Claire Lynch Hall.

CalTech Notes
Head coach Annie Tarakchian, who was hired in August 2022 from California Lutheran, directs the Beavers, which is based in Pasadena, Calif. They have opened the season with a 5-3 record with a 47-46 decision against Westcliff on Dec. 10.  This season CalTech is averaging 61.0 points and allowing 56.9 per game while being outrebounded 39.0-to-36.6. From the field, they hit 38.7 percent with a 28.0 percent average from three-point range. Kathryn Edwards is averaging 18.4 points and grabbing 10.3 rebounds per game to lead the way. Kyra Phaychanpheng is averaging 10.4 points per game.

John Carroll Notes
John Carroll is led by by fifth-year head coach Beth Andrews, who was hired in November 2020. She is the 13^th coach in the program's 50-year history. She served as an assistant for two years with the Blue Streaks after playing for John Carroll from 2011-15.   The Blue Streaks, which are based in University Heights, Ohio, have opened the season with a 6-1 record. In their most recent game, they dropped a 58-41 decision to Ohio Northern on Dec. 7 and was scheduled to face Marietta College on Dec. 14.  On Dec. 4, John Carroll took a 71-58 win over Mount Union.  This season John Carroll averaging 75.9 points and allowing 56.6 per game while outrebounding opponents, 39.9-to-36.0 per game. The Blue Streaks are hitting 41.2 percent from the field, including 37.9 percent from three-point range.  Ava Ryncarz is leading the team with 17.3 points (51.2 percent on 3s with 22-of-43 conversions) and grabbing 8.4 rebounds per game. Carmen Heuker is supplying 8.4 points and 3.4 rebounds.

Series Notes
The Bennies have not played CalTech or John Carroll in school history.

CSB – By the Numbers
Through seven games, St. Benedict has a 66.6-to-56.9 points per game advantage over its opponents. The Bennies are hitting 41.5 percent from the field and 34.0 percent from three-point range with 64 threes on 188 attempts. On the glass, opponents have a 37.4-to-34.0 rebound edge. CSB has made 101-148 free throws for 68.2 percent while average 11.9 assists, 1.4 blocks and 6.9 steals per game.

St. Ben's is led by Megan Morgan, a junior guard who is averaging 13.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists. Morgan has scored in double-digits seven games this season and 20 times in her career. This year she is 35-of-71 from the field for 49.3 percent, including 13-of-37 from three-point range for 35.1 percent. She has hit 157-of-349 field goals for 45.0 percent while connecting on 52-of-146 three-pointers for 35.1 percent in her career. Morgan, who is hitting 83.3 percent on 100-of-120 shooting at the foul line, has 466 points, 221 career rebounds, 98 assists, 16 blocks and 35 steals. Morgan, who has two career 20 point games, recorded a career-high 26 points against St. Catherine on Feb. 17, 2024.

Senior Sophia Jonas is averaging 10.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game this year. Jonas, who has 48 double-digit scoring games (six 20 point games) and 908 career points, hit four threes in the win over St. Olaf, four more in the win over Carleton and one against Saint Mary's to move into a tie for second place all-time in the MIAC history annals with 211 made threes. She is tied for second all-time with Missy Pederson of St. Thomas from 1998-02. She has a career-high 26 points vs UW-River Falls on Nov. 16, 2023. Against Saint Mary's on Dec. 10, she had a career-best five steals. She has made six triples in a game three times in her career, including twice in 2023-24 (UW-River Falls, Minnesota Morris). Six times, she has had five assists in a game, including three times in the 2024-25 season.

MIAC 3-point leaders all-time
255 - Brooklyn Paulson Saint Mary's, 2018-23
211 – Sophia Jonas, CSB, 2021 -
211 - Missy Pederson, St. Thomas 1998-02
210 - Jess Vadnais, Gustavus, 2004-08

Jonas is also the CSB's and the MIAC's all-time leader for threes in a season with 84 in 2022-23.  Jonas, who also set a MIAC record with 66 made threes in league play in 2022-23, has started 73 games (84 played) and has made 311-of-865 field goals for 36.0 percent, including the 211 threes. She is 75-of-98 from the foul line for 76.5 percent with 210 rebounds, 148 assists and 74 steals.

Senior Olivia Boily is averaging 7.1 points and 4.6 rebounds this season and has a pair of double-digit games this year. Her career-best in points is 13 vs Augsburg on Dec. 3, 2022, with her 11 rebounds at Carleton on Jan. 26, 2023.

First-year guard Tatum Findley is averaging 8.6  points and 2.9 rebounds while shooting 51.1 percent from the floor. She has a career-high of 15 points against UW-River Falls and Saint Mary's this year.

First-year guard Lauren Arnold scored a career-best 13 points on back-to-back games (both wins) against Simpson and UW-La Crosse at the Gunderson Hotel and Suites Thanksgiving Classic in La Crosse, Wis. In fact, she had a run of eight straight made field goals over the two games and finished 8-of-10 from the floor and 2-of-2 from three-point range during the tournament. She is averaging 6.3 points and 1.6 rebounds while making 51.5 percent from the field on 17-of-33 shooting. Additionally, Arnold has hit 5-of-9 three-points and 11-of-14 foul shots while dishing 11 assists with eight steals. She has three double-digit scoring games.

First year forward Sofia Baldessari is averaging 8.9 points and 5.9 rebounds. She has six made triples and is 13-of-21 for 61.9 percent from the foul line. Baldessari scored a career-high 14 points in the win over Carleton when she was 7-of-9 from the field, also a career-best. She also has a high of nine rebounds against Simpson on Nov. 30. Baldessari has twice recorded double-digit points.

In her first game this season, Kira Young scored 10 points and hit 3 of-5 field goals, including 2-of-3 from three-point range in a road win over UW-Eau Claire. For the season Young is averaging 5.5  points and 2.7 rebounds per game. Young has 296 career points and 160 rebounds. She has a career-best point total of 20 points against St. Catherine on Jan. 13, 2024, and eight rebounds twice against St. Olaf on Feb. 7, 2024, and St. Catherine on Jan. 13, 2024. Young has 14 career double-digit scoring games.

Megan Driste, a junior guard, is averaging 4.3 points and 2.6 rebounds. She had a career high of nine points when she hit 3-of-3 from three-point range (career-best) in the win over St. Olaf on Dec. 4.