ST. JOSEPH, Minn. - The College of Saint Benedict basketball team will open its 2026-27 season at home, hosting the Tip Off Tournament Friday-Saturday, Nov. 6-7. The Bennies will host University of Minnesota Morris, Loras College and Hamline University for the weekend series.  

 

Saint Benedict will begin the season against Minnesota-Morris at 8:15 p.m. Friday night, Nov. 6, and will follow the Hamline-Loras contest at 6:15 p.m. Saturday will see the Cougars and Pipers play at 12 p.m. before Saint Ben's take on the Duhawks at 2 p.m. 

 

The Bennies return off a 16-9 campaign in the 2025-26 season. CSB had four earn All-Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) honors. Juniors Drew Buslee (Eagan, Minn./Eagan) and Lauren Arnold (Chanhassen, Minn./Chanhassen) were named All-MIAC following stellar sophomore campaigns and return for the Bennies. Megan Morgan and Kira Young both earned All-MIAC honorable mention in their final season for Saint Benedict. 

 

The leading scorer for the Bennies a season ago, Buslee comes back after scoring 309 points, an average of 12.4 per game. Arnold was second on the squad with 298 and led all of Division III with a free throw percentage of .949, sinking 75 of her 79 attempts.  

 

Sophomore Emma Theisen (Rosemount, Minn./Rosemount) returns after tallying a team-high 147 rebounds in her first collegiate season. Buslee's 121 caroms are the second-most coming back for the Bennies. The Eagan, Minn. native led CSB in assists with 56, while Arnold closely followed with 55. Buslee also totaled a team-high 72 steals, followed by 38 from Arnold. Theisen's 12 blocks are the most for a CSB returner.  

 

Saint Benedict will battle Minnesota-Morris for the 19th time dating back to 1982. The Bennies boast a 15-3 advantage in the series and have won the last 15 matchups. Most recently, Saint Ben's downed the Cougars 91-57 Nov. 7, 2025. Buslee led all scorers with 22 points in her first game playing for CSB. Theisen hauled in a team-best five boards, while four Bennies finished with three assists each. 

 

Saint Ben's will meet Loras on the court for the fourth time since the inaugural meeting in 1988. CSB has won all three previous matchups, including an 84-58 win in the last battle Nov. 19, 2005. Darby Noreen led Saint Benedict with 15 points, while Kari Schroeder led the team with eight rebounds. Katie Kempe totaled a team-high five assists.  

 

For all information regarding this weekend's tournament, click here.