ST. JOSEPH, Minn. — With the regular season entering its final stretch, the College of Saint Benedict basketball team finds itself in familiar territory — battling for postseason position in the rugged Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

The Bennies (14–8, 9–6 MIAC) travel to St. Paul on Feb. 14 to face Hamline University (16–6, 10–5 MIAC) in a pivotal matchup with playoff implications. Tip-off between the Pipers and Bennies is set for 1 p.m., in Hutton Arena. Saint Benedict sits seventh in the conference standings, two games shy of fifth place and one game behind the sixth-place Pipers. With three games remaining and only six postseason berths available, every game is vital.

Season Recap
Saint Benedict set the tone for the 2024–25 season right out of the gate. On Nov. 7, the Bennies rolled past Minnesota Morris, 91–57, their first 90-point outing since 2019. The following night, CSB captured the Tipoff Tournament championship with a thrilling 51–50 win over Bethany Lutheran.

Sophomore guard Drew Buslee (Eagan, Minn.) quickly emerged as one of the team's focal points. She scored 22 points in the season opener and earned tournament MVP honors before turning in a historic performance at UW–Eau Claire on Nov. 12 with 25 points, seven rebounds, eight steals, and three assists. Her eight steals were the most by a Bennie since 2007, a mark she later matched against Colorado College.

After a narrow loss at Eau Claire, Saint Benedict won four of its next five games, starting 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, with 14 different players scoring. Buslee led the way with 16 points and five steals, while Megan Morgan (Winona, Minn.) chipped in 11 points.

That defensive intensity carried over into an 86–57 win against Nebraska Wesleyan, as Morgan poured in a season-high 18 points and senior Megan Driste (Sartell, Minn.) added a career-best 17 points, five assists, four three-pointers, and three steals.

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

At the Colorado College Fall Classic, Buslee tallied 22 points and eight steals in a 51–48 win over the host Tigers before CSB closed the tournament with a 66–57 loss to Whitman despite strong efforts from Buslee and Morgan.

One of the season's signature moments came on Dec. 10 at Claire Lynch Hall, when Saint Benedict defeated Gustavus Adolphus, 67–45, for its first win over the Gusties since 2020. Morgan led the charge with 21 points, nine rebounds, four three-pointers, and three steals.

Momentum carried into January with a 78–70 win over Augsburg on Jan. 3, highlighted by Morgan's near triple-double of 16 points, 10 rebounds, and a career-high eight assists, and 19 points from Arnold. Four days later, CSB earned a 72–57 road win at Macalester behind 19 points from Morgan and a career-high 13 from first-year Emma Theisen (Rosemount, Minn.).

After a setback against Hamline, the Bennies rebounded with wins over St. Catherine (60-50) and Carleton (70-57), climbing as high as second in the MIAC standings. Arnold posted a career-high 25 points against the Knights, while Alyssa Sadlovsky (Pierz, Minn.) added a career-best 13 and Kira Young (Hudson, Wis.) recorded a 14-point, 13-rebound double-double.

Most recently, Saint Benedict has continued to battle through a demanding stretch of conference play. A Feb. 7 home win over Carleton saw Arnold score 15 points and knock down the game-winning free throws with 8.8 seconds remaining, while Driste and Buslee each added 12. Against Macalester on Feb. 11, Driste hit a clutch three-pointer and Arnold, who led CSB with 17 points, hit two free throws with 3.4 seconds left to ice a 72-68 win.

Defense and free throws key to success - Arnold leads DIII in free throw shooting
Defense remains Saint Benedict's foundation. The Bennies lead the MIAC in turnover margin (+6.73) and rank 28th nationally in Division III. They force 20.5 turnovers per game — second in the conference — while averaging 10.9 steals (third in MIAC). Offensively, CSB scores 64.9 points per game (fourth in the MIAC) and allows 59.2 (seventh), holding 11 opponents to 60 points or fewer.

At the free-throw line, the Bennies have been elite. They shoot 76.7 percent as a team — fifth in Division III and second in the MIAC — and average 15.59 made free throws per game, 10th nationally. Meanwhile, they commit just 13.8 turnovers per contest, ranking third in the conference and 32nd nationally.

Buslee leads the team at 12.5 points per game, adding 4.7 rebounds. She has knocked down 40 three-pointers and collected 62 steals, third-most in the MIAC. Arnold averages 12.4 points and leads all of Division III in free-throw percentage at a remarkable 94.0 percent (63-of-67), including 15 consecutive conversions. Young contributes 11.2 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, reaching double figures in 11 of the last 12 outings. Theisen averages 5.9 points and 5.7 rebounds, while Sadlovsky (5.9 points, 22 threes) and Driste (4.8 points, 21 triples, including 5-of-12 over the past three games) provide perimeter punch.

Scouting the Pipers
Hamline, guided by eighth-year head coach Joshua Hersch, averages 63.4 points per game while surrendering just 53.0. Camille Cummings leads the Pipers with 12.9 points and 3.6 rebounds per game, while Lauren Cooper chips in 8.6 points and Anna Rynkiewich adds 7.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.

Series History
Saint Benedict holds a commanding 68–13 edge in the all-time series with Hamline, including a 37–6 mark at home and a 31–7 record on the road. The rivalry dates to Jan. 12, 1982, when CSB earned an 80–33 victory. The Pipers claimed the most recent meeting, 65–60, on Jan. 10 in St. Joseph.
 
Durbin reaches 780 wins
 CSB Head Coach Mike Durbin continues to build on a storied career. In his 40th season (41st overall) at Saint Benedict, Durbin owns 776 wins with the Bennies and 780 overall, ranking third all-time in Division III and standing as the MIAC's active leader in conference victories