ST. JOSEPH, Minn. -- With two games remaining in the regular season, the College of Saint Benedict basketball team (14-9, 9-7 MIAC) hits the road for a conference matchup against St. Catherine University (11-12, 6-10 MIAC) at the Butler Center in St. Paul. Tipoff between the Bennies and Wildcats is set for 7 p.m.

Saint Benedict, which is seventh in the MIAC, will close the regular season at home on Senior Day, Saturday, Feb. 21, with a 1 p.m. start.

Season Recap
Saint Benedict established its identity early in the 2024–25 campaign. On Nov. 7, the Bennies surged past Minnesota Morris, 91–57, marking their first 90-point performance since 2019. A night later, they captured the Tipoff Tournament championship with a dramatic 51–50 win over Bethany Lutheran.

Sophomore guard Drew Buslee (Eagan, Minn.) wasted no time emerging as a centerpiece. She poured in 22 points in the opener, claimed tournament MVP honors, and then delivered a historic stat line at UW–Eau Claire on Nov. 12 — 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, the Bennies responded by winning four of their next five contests. The run began with a commanding 75–42 victory over Dubuque on Nov. 15, when CSB forced 32 turnovers and converted them into a 37–7 advantage in points off turnovers. Fourteen different players scored in the win, led by Buslee's 16 points and five steals, while Megan Morgan (Winona, Minn.) added 11 points.

The defensive intensity carried into an 86–57 triumph over Nebraska Wesleyan. Morgan scored a season-high 18 points, and senior Megan Driste (Sartell, Minn.) delivered a career-best 17 points along 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 paced all scorers with 18 points and eight rebounds, and Lauren Arnold (Chanhassen, Minn.) sealed the victory at the free-throw line while finishing with 15 points.

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

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

Momentum rolled into the new year with a 78–70 victory over Augsburg on Jan. 3. Morgan flirted with a triple-double — 16 points, 10 rebounds, and a career-high eight assists — while Arnold added 19 points. Four days later, CSB secured a 72–57 road win at Macalester behind 19 points from Morgan and a career-high 13 from first-year Emma Theisen (Rosemount, Minn.).

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

Down the stretch, Saint Benedict has continued to grind through a demanding conference slate. In a Feb. 7 home win over Carleton, Arnold scored 15 points and calmly knocked down the game-winning free throws with 8.8 seconds remaining, while Driste and Buslee each added 12. On Feb. 11 at Macalester, Driste buried a clutch three-pointer and Arnold — who led the Bennies with 17 points — sank two free throws with 3.4 seconds left to seal a 72–68 victory. On Feb. 14, CSB fell to Hamline, 69–53, despite Arnold's 20-point effort.

Defense and free throw shooting continue to be anchor for the Bennies 
Defense continues to anchor the Bennies' success. They lead the MIAC in turnover margin (+6.57) and rank 29th nationally in Division III. CSB forces 20.7 turnovers per game — second in the conference — and averages 11.0 steals (second in the MIAC). Offensively, CSB scores 64.4 points per game (fourth in the MIAC) while allowing 59.2 (seventh), holding 11 opponents to 60 points or fewer.

At the free-throw line, Saint Benedict has been exceptional. The Bennies shoot 77.3 percent as a team — fourth in Division III and first in the MIAC — and average 15.85 made free throws per game, ranking first in the conference and eighth nationally. They also commit just 14.1 turnovers per contest, third in the MIAC.

Arnoldleads the team with 12.7 points per game and tops all of Division III with a remarkable 94.7 percent free-throw mark (71-of-75), including 23 straight makes. Buslee follows at 12.1 points per game and 4.7 rebounds, knocking down 40 three-pointers and collecting 66 steals — third-most in the MIAC. Young averages 11.2 points and 5.7 rebounds, reaching double figures in 12 of the last 13 games and 36 times in her career. Theisen adds 6.0 points and 5.7 rebounds per contest, while Sadlovsky contributes 5.7 points and 23 three-pointers, and Driste chips in 4.8 points and 21 triples to provide perimeter punch.

Scout on St. Catherine 
St. Catherine, led by head coach Dr. Don Mulhern in his ninth season, enters at 11-12 overall and 6-10 in the MIAC. The Wildcats average 58.0 points per game (eighth in the MIAC) and allow 61.4 (eighth). Hattie Fox ranks seventh in the conference in scoring at 14.7 points per game while adding 5.8 rebounds, and Jordyn Peed stands 11th at 13.6 points per contest.

Series Snapshot
The series history strongly favors Saint Benedict, which holds a commanding 54–9 advantage all-time. The rivalry began Dec. 3, 1982, when the Bennies claimed a 73–33 victory. Most recently, CSB defeated the Wildcats, 60–50, on Jan. 14 in St. Joseph.

Durbin has 780 career wins
Meanwhile, head coach Mike Durbin continues to add to his remarkable legacy. In his 40th season (41st overall) at Saint Benedict, Durbin has amassed 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.