NORTHFIELD, Minn. — The College of Saint Benedict basketball team, led by the Megan Morgan, Emma Theisen and Lauren Arnold, opened its MIAC season with a gritty road win Wednesday night, outlasting St. Olaf, 59–53, in road MIAC play.

Senior Megan Morgan (Winona, Minn.) powered the Bennies (5–1, 1–0 MIAC) with 18 points and eight rebounds, while sophomore Lauren Arnold (Chanhassen, Minn.) delivered 15 points — 11 of them from the free-throw line — and three steals. First-year Emma Theisen (Rosemount, Minn.) controlled the glass with a career-high 11 rebounds to help CSB secure its third straight victory.

CSB, which held a 26-23, advantage at half, rallied with a 19-10 margin in the fourth quarter to earn the win.

Saint Benedict led for nearly 29 minutes and made its mark on the defensive end, converting 21 St. Olaf turnovers into 22 points and collecting 12 steals. And while the Bennies shot just 28.6 percent from the field (18-for-63) and 4-for-22 from deep, they had success at the free-throw line, hitting 19 of 23 attempts. St. Olaf, by comparison, made 10 foul shots (16 attempts).

CSB nudged ahead early despite a cold-shooting opening quarter, taking a 12–8 lead behind five points from Morgan. The Oles rallied to tie the game several times in the second quarter and even grabbed a brief lead at 22–20, but Arnold's steady hand at the line — she went 5-of-6 in the first half alone — helped the Bennies regain a 26–23 advantage at halftime.

In the third quarter, St. Olaf used an 11–2 run to go up 41–35 and eventually carried a 43–40 lead into the break. CSB struggled offensively, shooting just 5-of-15 (33.3 percent), while St. Olaf countered with a sharp 9-of-14 performance (64.3 percent) to secure its three-point advantage.

In the fourth, the Bennies responded with a 19–10 surge, hitting 6-of-14 shots (42.9 percent) and going a perfect 6-for-6 at the line—all from Arnold. CSB opened the quarter on a 7–3 run, taking a 47–46 lead on a jumper by Drew Buslee (Eagan, Minn.), who finished with eight points, three rebounds, and three steals. A Theisen jumper at the 3:43 mark made it 49–46, and Buslee added a lay-up off a Morgan assist to extend the advantage to 51–46 with 2:15 remaining. Morgan later drove for a layup to push the lead to 53–49 with 30 seconds left, and Arnold sealed the victory by sinking six free throws in the final 15 seconds.

The Bennies will next compete at the Colorado College Classic on Nov. 28-29 in Colorado Springs, Colo.