ST. JOSEPH, Minn. — With momentum of six wins in its last nine games, the College of Saint Benedict basketball team heads north for a key MIAC road test Saturday, Jan. 31, at St. Scholastica in Duluth, Minn. Tip-off between the two teams is set for 1 p.m.

The Bennies enter the matchup with a 12-6 overall record and a 7-4 mark in MIAC play as the conference race tightens near the season's midpoint. CSB sits tied for seventh in the league standings, while St. Scholastica (13-5, 8-3 MIAC) is fifth and tied for third in conference play.

Season Recap
Saint Benedict opened the 2024–25 season in emphatic fashion on Nov. 7 with a 91–57 win over Minnesota Morris, its first 90-point performance since 2019. The following night, the Bennies captured the CSB Tipoff Tournament title with a dramatic 51–50 victory over Bethany Lutheran.

Sophomore guard Drew Buslee (Eagan, Minn.) quickly established herself as a focal point, scoring 22 points in the season opener and earning tournament MVP honors. She followed with a historic performance on Nov. 12 at UW–Eau Claire, recording 25 points, seven rebounds, eight steals, and three assists. Her eight steals marked the most by a Bennie since 2007, a total she later matched against Colorado College.

After a narrow loss at UW–Eau Claire, CSB won 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 37–7 advantage in points off turnovers. Fourteen players scored, led by Buslee's 16 points and five steals, while Megan Morgan (Winona, Minn.) added 11 points.

The defensive pressure continued in an 86–57 win over Nebraska Wesleyan, as Morgan scored a season-high 18 points and senior Megan Driste (Sartell, Minn.) posted a career-best 17 points with five assists, four three-pointers, and three steals.

Conference play opened with a 59–53 road win at St. Olaf on Nov. 19. Morgan led all scorers with 18 points and eight rebounds, while Lauren Arnold (Chanhassen, Minn.) sealed the victory at the free-throw line and finished with 15 points.

At the Colorado College Fall Classic, Buslee poured in 22 points with eight steals in a 51–48 win over the host Tigers on Nov. 28. CSB closed the tournament with a 66–57 loss to Whitman despite strong efforts from Buslee (15 points, six steals) and Morgan (11 points).

Following losses to Concordia (Dec. 6) and Whitman (Nov. 29), the Bennies responded with one of their most notable wins of the season, defeating Gustavus Adolphus 67–45 on Dec. 10 at Claire Lynch Hall. Morgan led the way with 21 points, nine rebounds, four three-pointers, and three steals as CSB earned its first win over the Gusties since 2020.

Saint Benedict carried that momentum into January with a 78–70 win over Augsburg on Jan. 3. Morgan nearly recorded a triple-double with 16 points, 10 rebounds, and a career-high eight assists, while Arnold added a career-best 19 points. The Bennies followed with a 72–57 road win at Macalester on Jan. 7 behind Morgan's 19 points and a career-high 13 points from first-year Emma Theisen (Rosemount, Minn.).

After a 65–60 loss to Hamline on Jan. 10, CSB bounced back with a 60–50 win over St. Catherine, led by 19 points from Young and 10 from Buslee. The Bennies then climbed as high as second in the MIAC standings with a 70–57 victory over Carleton, highlighted by Arnold's career-high 25 points, Alyssa Sadlovsky's career-best 13, and Young's double-double of 14 points and 13 rebounds.

Most recently, Saint Benedict dropped a 67–47 decision to (RV) Bethel before responding with a 73–67 win over Saint Mary's. Sadlovsky scored a career-high 19 points on a perfect 7-for-7 shooting effort, including 3-for-3 from beyond the arc, while Arnold also added 19 points. In a 57–53 loss to (RV) Concordia on Jan. 28, Young finished with 17 points and four blocks, and Arnold chipped in 11 points.

By the Numbers
Defense continues to be the foundation of Saint Benedict's success. The Bennies lead the MIAC in turnover margin (+7.22), rank 21st nationally in Division III, and force a league-best 21.2 turnovers per game. CSB also ranks among conference leaders in steals (11.17 per game), scoring offense (65.2 ppg), and scoring defense (58.2 ppg), holding 10 opponents under 60 points.

From the free-throw line, the Bennies are among the nation's elite, shooting 76.0 percent (fifth nationally) and averaging 16.59 made free throws per game.

Individually, Buslee leads CSB at 12.3 points per game with a team-high 33 three-pointers and a MIAC-best 52 steals. Arnold averages 11.6 points per game and ranks second nationally in free-throw percentage (92.0). Young has scored in double figures in eight straight games and is averaging 11.2 points and 5.6 rebounds, while Theisen leads the team on the glass at 5.83 rebounds per contest.

Scouting St. Scholastica
St. Scholastica enters Saturday's contest tied for third in the MIAC at 8-3 under fifth-year head coach Jason Schmitz. The Saints are led by Ava Haus, who averages 16.8 points (third in the MIAC) and 5.9 rebounds per game, while Evie Schmitz adds 14.5 points per contest. St. Scholastica is coming off a 63–50 win at Augsburg on Jan. 28 and a 65–52 victory over Carleton on Jan. 24.

Series Snapshot
Saint Benedict holds a commanding 23–3 advantage in the all-time series, including an 11–1 record in Duluth. In the most recent meeting, CSB earned an 84–53 win at St. Scholastica on Feb. 5, 2025. The Bennies are 11–1 on the road and 12–2 at home in the series, which began with an 85–70 Saint Benedict win on Feb. 19, 1982.

Coach Durbin reaches 778 careerwins
Head coach Mike Durbin continues to add to a storied career. In his 40th season at Saint Benedict, Durbin owns 774 wins with the Bennies and 778 overall, ranking third all-time in Division III and standing as the MIAC's active leader in conference victories.