ST. JOSEPH, Minn. — After winning six of its first eight games, the College of Saint Benedict basketball team (6–2, 1–0 MIAC) returns to Claire Lynch Hall on Saturday, Dec. 6, to host Concordia-Moorhead (5–1, 0–1 MIAC) in MIAC play with tipoff set for 1 p.m. The homestand continues next week when Gustavus Adolphus visits on Wednesday, Dec. 10, at 7 p.m., before the Bennies break for the holidays.

CSB will open 2026 on the road with back-to-back MIAC trips — at Augsburg on Jan. 3 and Macalester on Jan. 7 — before returning home to face Hamline on Jan. 10.

Bennies Start Fast at 6–2
Saint Benedict's early-season surge began with a statement. A 91–57 rout of Minnesota Morris — the program's first 90-point outing since 2019 — set an assertive tone on opening weekend. The Bennies followed with a hard fought 51–50 win over Bethany Lutheran to claim the CSB Tipoff Tournament title on Nov. 7–8.

Sophomore guard Drew Buslee (Eagan, Minn.) has been a leader on both offense and defense for CSB. Her 22-point opener and series of late-game heroics earned her tournament MVP honors. Even in CSB's lone early loss — a 61–60 thriller against UW–Eau Claire — Buslee delivered one of the most complete performances the program has seen in years: 25 points, seven rebounds, eight steals, and three assists. Her eight steals marked the most by a Bennie since 2007, a mark she again reached in a win over Colorado College.  

After a setback to UW-Eau Claire, CSB answered with four wins in five games, beginning with a dominant 75–42 decision over Dubuque. Buslee added 16 points and five steals in that win, while Morgan scored 11 points and 14 Bennies found the scoresheet. The defense dictated nearly every possession, forcing 32 turnovers and converting them into a 37–7 advantage in points off giveaways.

Against Nebraska Wesleyan, an 86–57 victory on Nov. 16, Morgan posted a season-best 18 points, and senior guard Megan Driste (Sartell, Minn.) turned in the finest performance of her career: 17 points, five assists, four threes, and three steals.

CSB carried that momentum into conference play with a 59–53 road win over St. Olaf on Nov. 20. Morgan powered the offense with 18 points and eight rebounds, while Lauren Arnold (Chanhassen, Minn.) added 15 points, drilling six clutch free throws in the closing moments.

At the Colorado College Fall Classic, the Bennies edged host Colorado College, 51–48, behind another assertive showing from Buslee, who totaled 22 points and eight steals — her third 20-point effort of the season. She enters the weekend averaging 15.8 points and 3.9 steals per game. CSB closed the event with a 66–57 loss to Whitman College despite 15 points and six steals from Buslee and 11 points from Morgan.

By the Numbers: Defense Leading the Charge
CSB enters the weekend among the MIAC's most balanced teams, ranking fourth in scoring offense (66.3 ppg) and tied for third in scoring defense (54.3 ppg). The Bennies hold opponents to just 22.1 percent from beyond the arc, the second-best mark in the conference.

Turnovers have become their signature advantage for the Bennies. CSB leads the MIAC in turnover margin at +9.38 and tops the league with 12.5 steals per game — already 100 steals through eight contests. Their 0.81 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks fourth in the conference. CSB ranks  14^th in DIII in made free throws, second in free throws made per game 16.75 and 20^th in DIII in turnover margin.

Buslee sits seventh in the MIAC in scoring (15.8 ppg), fifth in made threes per game (2.3), seventh in three-point percentage (36.7 percent), and second in steals (3.9), with a league-leading 31 overall. Buslee's 31 steals is seventh in DIII and her 3.9 steals per game ranks 16^th nationally. Morgan adds 11.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game, while Young contributes 8.9 points and 4.6 rebounds. Arnold is averaging 8.2 points and 2.0 rebounds.

Scouting the Cobbers
Concordia (5–1, 0–1 MIAC), led by sixth-year head coach Kim Wagers, arrives with a strong nonconference résumé. The Cobbers fell, 52–44, to No. 22 Bethel on Nov. 25 before rebounding with a 79–53 nonconference win over Minnesota Morris — their second win over Minnesota-Morris this year.

Concordia holds a 68.2–54.3 scoring advantage over opponents while shooting 40.7 percent from the floor and 27.2 percent from long range. Their dominance on the glass stands out: a 44.5–34.5 rebounding edge. Maya Metcalf leads the team with 11.2 points and 9.2 rebounds per game, while Molly Musland adds 10.5 points and a team-best 10 made threes.

Series Breakdown
CSB leads the all-time series, 48–44, including a 68–64 victory in last season's MIAC Playoffs. The Bennies are 33–15 at home against Concordia and 15–29 in Moorhead. CSB's series history includes a memorable 92–91 win on Feb. 6, 2019 in a series that dates to 1982.

Durbin ranks among all-time leaders nationally in wins
Head coach Mike Durbin, now in his 41st collegiate season and 40th at Saint Benedict, enters the weekend with a 768–274 record at CSB and a 772–296 career mark. He ranks third all-time in Division III victories and owns 595 MIAC wins — the most among active coaches in the conference.