ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict basketball team (1-0) opened its season in dominant fashion Friday night, cruising past Minnesota Morris (0-1), 91-57, in the first round of the CSB Tipoff Tournament. Sophomore guard
Drew Buslee led the way with a career-high 22 points, splashing five three-pointers in her Bennies debut.
The win marked the first time CSB has scored more than 90 points since a 92-91 victory over Concordia on February 6, 2019 — and it came with some fireworks in the third quarter. After leading 40-29 at halftime, the Bennies exploded for a 34-12 run in the third, their highest-scoring quarter since the NCAA switched to the four-quarter format in 2015-16.
Buslee, a transfer from Sioux Falls and Eagan, Minn. native, caught fire early in the second half. She hit three triples in the first three minutes of the third quarter, added three free throws after being fouled on another attempt, and helped push the Bennies' lead to 68-39 before the quarter ended. Overall, she went 6-of-12 from the floor, 5-of-7 from deep, and a perfect 5-for-5 at the line, while adding two rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
Three other Bennies joined Buslee in double figures:
- Megan Diste, a senior guard from Sartell, tied her career high with 12 points and drained two threes.
- Lauren Arnold, a sophomore guard from Chanhassen, Minn., added 11 points, three assists, and two steals.
- Megan Morgan, a senior guard from Winona, Minn, chipped in 10 points along with three assists and two rebounds.
CSB's offense was clicking all night. The team shot 50 percent (32-of-64) from the field, 48 percent (12-of-25) from three-point range, and 79 percent (15-of-19) from the free-throw line. Defensively, the Bennies forced 27 turnovers, converting them into 31 points, and held a 19-8 advantage in fast-break points.
The Bennies led wire to wire, holding the advantage for more than 37 minutes and building a 39-point cushion midway through the fourth quarter.
In other Tipoff Tournament news, the College of Saint Scholastica defeated Bethany Lutheran 64-53. CSB (1-0) will face Bethany Lutheran (0-1) on Saturday at 3:00 p.m., following the matchup between Saint Scholastica (1-0) and Minnesota Morris (0-1).
