ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict basketball team (8-2, 3-0 MIAC), which has won seven of the past eight games, will host Hamline (7-3, 2-1 MIAC) in MIAC play on Community Day at Claire Lynch Hall. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m.  As part of "Community Day," free admission will be provided to those attending the game.

St. Benedict, which was 1-1 at the Puerto Rico Clasico on Dec. 16-17, will host Bethel at 7 p.m., on Jan. 8 at Claire Lynch Hall.  The Bennies have opened the MIAC campaign at 3-0 with home wins over St. Olaf, 60-42, on Dec. 4; and Carelton College, 72-52, on Dec. 7 and a road win at Saint Mary's, 68-62, on Dec. 10. At the Puerto Rico Clasico, CSB recorded a 54-41 win over Caltech and took a 63-59 overtime defeat to John Carroll.
 
ABOUT HAMLINE
Directed by second-year head coach Joshua Hersch, the Pipers have opened with a 7-3 record overall and 2-1 in MIAC play. Most recently, Hamline recorded a 74-51 win over Martin Luther amd a 80-61 decision over Bethany Lutheran after registering a 57-38 MIAC victory over St. Scholastica on Dec. 11. Hamline also registered a 61-46 win over Macalester and lost to Bethel, 65-53, in MIAC play at home.  Hamline is averaging 63.0 points while allowing 53.7 points per game. The Pipers hit 38.9 percent from the field while making 34.5 percent from three-point range. Camille Cummings is leading the Pipers with 17.1 points per game, which ranks second in the MIAC, while adding a team-high 4.1 rebounds per contest. Kate Trachsel, who is hitting 40.4 percent from three-point range, is contributing 10.1 points per game while Sophie Stork is providing 9.7 points per game.  
 
SERIES NOTES
In the all-time series between Hamline and Saint Benedict, the Bennies have a 67-12 series edge. The Bennies, which lost to the Pipers, 54-51, on Jan. 20, 2024, in St. Paul, have a 36-5 home record against the Pipers with a 31-7 in road games and a 64-11 mark in MIAC play. In the first match-up between the schools, CSB recorded a 80-33 victory on Jan. 12, 1982. The Bennies won 43 straight games in the series from Jan. 3, 1987 to Feb. 16, 2008 and sit 4-6 in last 10 matchups. 
 
CSB - BY THE NUMBERS
Through 10 games, St. Benedict has a 64.6-to-55.9 points per game advantage over its opponents. The Bennies are hitting 40.8 percent from the field and 32.6 percent from three-point range. On the glass, opponents have a 34.6-to-35.8 rebound edge. St. Ben's is led by junior guard Megan Morgan, who is averaging 13.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists. Morgan has scored in double-digits eight games this season and 21 times in her career. This year she is 45-of-90 from the field for 50.0 percent, including 18-of-48 from three-point range for 37.5 percent. She has hit 167-of-368 field goals for 45.4 percent while connecting on 57-of-159 three-pointers for 35.8 percent in her career. Morgan, who is hitting 82.3 percent on 102-of-124 shooting at the foul line, has 493 points, 235 career rebounds, 103 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. She recorded a season-high of 18 points against John Carroll in 2024-25.

Senior Sophia Jonas is averaging 10.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game this year. Jonas, who has 50 double-digit scoring games (six 20 point games) and 930 career points, converted six three-pointers at the Puerto Rico Clasico and is first all-time at CSB and sits second all-time in MIAC history for made three-pointers with 217.  She has a career-high 26 points vs UW-River Falls on Nov. 16, 2023. Against Saint Mary's on Dec. 10, 2024, 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
217 – Sophia Jonas, CSB, 2021 -
211 - Missy Pederson, St. Thomas 1998-02

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 75 games (86 played) and has made 319-of-885 field goals for 36.0 percent, including the 217 threes on 613 attempts for 35.4 percent. She is 75-of-98 from the foul line for 76.5 percent with 218 rebounds, 150 assists and 78 steals.

Senior Olivia Boily is averaging 7.8 points and 4.6 rebounds this season and has a trio of double-digit games this year. She is 35-of-76 from the field for 46.1 percent. Her career-best in points is 13 vs Augsburg on Dec. 3, 2022, with her 11 rebounds at Carleton on Jan. 26, 2023. Boily has 384 points, 40 steals, 267 rebounds, 50 assists and 24 blocks.

First-year guard Tatum Findley is averaging 8.1 points and 2.9 rebounds while shooting 49.1 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 in 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 6.0 points and 2.1 rebounds while making 51.5 percent from the field on 20-of-39 shooting. Additionally, Arnold has hit 6-of-11 three-points and 14-of-18 foul shots while dishing 16 assists with nine steals. She has three double-digit scoring games.

First year forward Sofia Baldessari is averaging 8.0 points and 6.3 rebounds. She has seven made triples and is 15-of-23 for 65.2 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 5.0  points and 2.5 rebounds per game. Young has 303 career points and 164 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 3.7 points and 2.4 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. She ranks third on CSB with 11 threes in 31 attempts for 35.5 percent.