ST. JOSEPH, Minn. — With five wins in its last seven outings, the College of Saint Benedict basketball team (11-5, 6-3 MIAC) heads to Winona, Minn., Saturday (Jan. 24) for a key MIAC road test against Saint Mary's (13-3, 7-2 MIAC). Tipoff is set for 1 p.m., at David R. Thies Arena.

Entering midweek play, the Bennies sit tied for fifth in the MIAC standings with a 6-3 conference mark, while Saint Mary's is tied for second at 7-2. Both teams have positioned themselves as contenders as the league schedule tightens.

Season Review - 
The 2024–25 campaign opened with a statement from Saint Benedict, as the Bennies rolled past Minnesota Morris 91–57 on Nov. 7. The outburst marked the program's first 90-point performance since 2019 and signaled an aggressive start to the season. One night later, CSB captured the CSB Tipoff Tournament title with a dramatic 51–50 win over Bethany Lutheran.

Sophomore guard Drew Buslee (Eagan, Minn.) quickly established herself as a centerpiece for the Bennies. She poured in 22 points in the opener and earned tournament MVP honors with clutch late-game play. Even in a narrow 61–60 loss to UW–Eau Claire on Nov. 12, Buslee delivered a standout performance with 25 points, seven rebounds, eight steals, and three assists. Her eight steals were the most by a Bennie since 2007, a total she later matched against Colorado College.

Following the Eau Claire setback, Saint Benedict rebounded by winning four of its next five games, beginning with a dominant 75–42 victory over Dubuque on Nov. 15. The Bennies forced 32 turnovers and turned them into a decisive 37–7 edge in points off turnovers. Fourteen players scored in the win, with Buslee posting 16 points and five steals, while Morgan added 11 points.

That defensive pressure carried into an 86–57 win over Nebraska Wesleyan the next night. Senior Megan Morgan (Winona, Minn.) recorded a season-high 18 points, and senior guard Megan Driste (Sartell, Minn.) produced the strongest performance of her career with 17 points, five assists, four three-pointers, and three steals.

Conference play opened with a hard-fought 59–53 road win at St. Olaf on Nov. 19. Morgan led the way with 18 points and eight rebounds, while Lauren Arnold (Chanhassen, Minn.) sealed the victory at the free-throw line, scoring 15 points and converting six free throws in the closing moments.

At the Colorado College Fall Classic, Saint Benedict edged the host Tigers, 51–48, on Nov. 28 behind another assertive effort from Buslee, who scored 22 points and added eight steals for her third 20-point game of the season. The Bennies closed the tournament with a 66–57 loss to Whitman College despite 15 points and six steals from Buslee and 11 points from Morgan.

After losses to Concordia on Dec. 6 and Whitman on Nov. 29, CSB responded with one of its most significant wins of the season — a 67–45 victory over Gustavus Adolphus on Dec. 10 at Claire Lynch Hall. Morgan powered the win with 21 points, four three-pointers, nine rebounds, and three steals as the Bennies snapped a lengthy drought against the Gusties, earning their first win in the series since Jan. 29, 2020, and their first home victory since 2018.

Saint Benedict carried that momentum into January with a 78–70 win over Augsburg on Jan. 3, extending its series winning streak to seven games. Morgan narrowly missed a triple-double with 16 points, 10 rebounds, and a career-high eight assists, while Arnold posted a career-best 19 points on 7-of-9 shooting. CSB followed with a 72–57 road win at Macalester on Jan. 7 as Morgan scored 19 points to lead five players in double figures, and first-year Emma Theisen (Rosemount, Minn.) added a career-high 13 points and eight rebounds.

After a 65–60 loss to Hamline on Jan. 10, in which Buslee and Morgan each scored 13 points, the Bennies bounced back with a 60–50 home win over St. Catherine. Young led the way with 19 points, while Buslee added 10 points and four assists. CSB then moved into second place in the MIAC with a 70–57 win over Carleton, highlighted by a career-high 25 points from Arnold, a career-best 13 from Alyssa Sadlovsky, and Young's second career double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds. In its most recent outing, Saint Benedict fell to (RV) Bethel, 67–47, despite 17 points from Young.

By the numbers - CSB success keyed by defense

Defense has been the cornerstone of CSB's success. The Bennies lead the MIAC in turnover margin at +7.64, ranking 19th nationally in Division III. CSB forces a league-best 21.5 turnovers per game while committing just 13.9, second in the MIAC and 28th nationally. St. Ben's averages 11.6 steals per game (2nd, MIAC), rank fourth in the MIAC in scoring offense (65.6 ppg) and scoring defense (57.6 ppg), and have held nine opponents under 60 points. From the line, CSB is among the nation's best, shooting 75.9 percent (10th in DIII) and averaging 16.69 made free throws per game, fifth nationally and first in the MIAC.

Individually, Buslee leads the Bennies at 12.8 points per game and has knocked down a team-high 28 three-pointers. She also averages 4.7 rebounds and leads the MIAC with 49 steals, ranking 44th nationally, while her 3.1 steals per game top the league and rank 48th in Division III. Arnold is averaging 11.1 points and 1.9 steals per game and leads the MIAC — and ranks second nationally — in free-throw shooting at 93.2 percent (41-of-44). Young, recently named The House/St. Cloud Orthopedics CSB Athlete of the Week, is contributing 10.8 points and 5.7 rebounds per game and has scored in double figures in six straight contests. Theisen leads the team with 6.2 rebounds per game while adding 5.7 points.

Scouting Saint Mary's 

Saint Mary's enters Saturday under the direction of second-year head coach Courtney Shleton, carrying a 13-3 overall record and a 7-2 MIAC mark. The Cardinals are coming off an 81–45 win over St. Olaf after a 68–61 loss to St. Catherine. Saint Mary's leads the MIAC in scoring at 72.6 points per game while ranking second defensively at 55.9 points allowed. Brianna Nusbaum paces the Cardinals with 16.7 points and 4.2 rebounds per game while shooting 37.7 percent from three-point range. Ayla Olson adds 14.1 points and 8.4 rebounds, and Rylie Sternquist contributes 11.9 points and 5.1 rebounds.

Series snapshot

Saint Benedict holds a commanding 62–18 advantage in the all-time series, including a 30–10 mark in road games. The Bennies have won 10 straight meetings and claimed a 73–64 victory in the most recent matchup on Jan. 25. CSB dropped the first-ever meeting in the series, 66–49, on Feb. 5, 1982.

Mike Durbin reaches 777 wins
On the sideline, head coach Mike Durbin continues to build one of the most distinguished careers in Division III history. In his 41st collegiate season and 40th at Saint Benedict, Durbin owns 773 wins at CSB and 777 overall, ranking third all-time in Division III and standing as the MIAC's active leader in conference victories.