ST. JOSEPH, Minn. -- With a three-game winning streak, the College of Saint Benedict basketball team (9-3, 4-1 MIAC), which has nine wins in 12 games, faces Hamline (9-3, 3-2 MIAC) on Saturday, Jan. 10, at 1 p.m., at Claire Lynch Hall on Alumni Day.

The Bennies enter the game at 4-1 and tied for second in the MIAC with a 9-3 overall record. That mark was built on momentum with consecutive victories over Gustavus, Augsburg, and Macalester. After Saturday's contest, Saint Benedict will host St. Catherine on Wednesday, Jan. 14, at 7 p.m.

Season Review
Saint Benedict's season began with a statement, as the Bennies opened with a 91–57 win over Minnesota Morris — their first 90-point performance since 2019. They followed that effort by claiming the CSB Tipoff Tournament title with a narrow 51–50 win over Bethany Lutheran on Nov. 8, closing a strong opening weekend.

Sophomore guard Drew Buslee (Eagan, Minn.) quickly established herself as one of the team's driving forces. She poured in 22 points in the season opener and earned tournament MVP honors with clutch late-game play. Even in a 61–60 setback against UW–Eau Claire, Buslee delivered one of the most complete performances in recent program history, finishing with 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 in a win over Colorado College.

Following the Eau Claire loss, Saint Benedict steadied itself with four wins in five games. That stretch opened with a dominant 75–42 victory over Dubuque, where defensive pressure defined the night. The Bennies forced 32 turnovers, turned them into a 37–7 advantage in points off turnovers, and saw 14 different players score. Buslee finished with 16 points and five steals, while Morgan added 11 points.

CSB's defensive identity carried over in an 86–57 win against Nebraska Wesleyan on Nov. 16. Morgan recorded a season-high 18 points, while senior guard Megan Driste (Sartell, Minn.) delivered the strongest performance of her career with 17 points, five assists, four three-pointers, and three steals.

Conference play opened with a 59–53 road victory at St. Olaf on Nov. 20. Morgan again led the Bennies with 18 points and eight rebounds, while Lauren Arnold (Chanhassen, Minn.) sealed the win 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, behind another assertive performance from Buslee, who scored 22 points and added eight steals for her third 20-point game of the season. St. Ben's closed the tourney 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 and Whitman, Saint Benedict rebounded in emphatic fashion by snapping a long drought against Gustavus Adolphus with a 67–45 victory. Morgan scored 21 points, knocked down four three-pointers, and added nine rebounds and three steals, as the Bennies earned their first win over Gustavus since Jan. 29, 2020, and their first home win in the series since 2018.

Saint Benedict then continued its success against Augsburg with a 78–70 win, its seventh straight in the series. Morgan narrowly missed a triple-double with 16 points, 10 rebounds, and a career-high eight assists, while Arnold recorded a career-best 19 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field. St. Ben's recorded a third straight win with a 72-57 road win at Macalester as Morgan scored 19 points to lead five players in double digits. First-year Emma Theisen had a career-best 13 points along with eight rebounds.

CSB By the Numbers
Turnovers have become a signature advantage for the Bennies, which leads the MIAC in turnover margin at +8.58 (18th in DIII) and its 22.3 forced turnovers per game is the best in the MIAC. With 13.7 turnovers per game, CSB ranks 25th in DIII and first in the MIAC. With 12.0 steals per game (69^th in DIII, 1st MIAC), CSB is first in the MIAC. The Bennies are averaging 67.6 points per game shooting 36.2 percent. They have 79 made three-pointers on the season averaging 6.6 per game. In the MIAC, Buslee sits eighth in scoring (14.6 ppg), and fourth in made threes per game (2.0). Buslee's 42 steals is 23rd in DIII and her 3.5 steals per game ranks 25th as she leads the MIAC in both categories. She has five games with four or more steals this year. Morgan, who adds 13.5 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, has 57 double-digit scoring games in her career, including 11 this year. With her 21 points in the win over Gustavus, Morgan has six 20-point games and three double doubles in her career. She recently surpassed 800 career points and has 836 in her career. Arnold, who is averaging 11.1 points and 2.2 steals per game, leads the MIAC and ranks third in DIII at 92.9 percent (26-of-28) in free throw shooting. Young is adding 9.4 points and 5.0 rebounds per game
 
SCOUTING HAMLINE
Hamline (9-3, 3–2 MIAC), led by third-year head coach Joshua Hersch, has opened the MIAC season 3-2 with a 9-3 overall record. In recent action, the Pipers defeated St. Scholastica, 62-54, on Jan. 7. Hamline holds a 65.4–54.4 scoring advantage over opponents while shooting 41.3 percent from the floor and 32.7 percent from three point range as well as 69.0 percent from the foul line. They own a 32.3-to-29.4 rebound advantage and force 19.9 turnovers per game for second in the MIAC.

Series Snapshot
CSB leads the all-time series, 68–12, including a 37-5 advantage in home games. In the last matchup on Jan. 4, 2025, the Bennies took a thrilling 47-44 decision.

Durbin has 775 career wins
On the sideline, longtime head coach Mike Durbin continues to build a historic résumé. Now in his 41st collegiate season and 40th at Saint Benedict, Durbin enters the week with 771 wins at CSB and 775 overall, ranking third all-time in Division III history and standing as the MIAC's active leader in conference victories.