ST. JOSEPH, Minn. - The College of Saint Benedict basketball team concludes a four-game road swing Wednesday night, traveling to St. Peter, Minn., for a key MIAC matchup with Gustavus Adolphus. Tip-off between the Bennies and the Gusties is set for 7 p.m., on Feb. 4.

The Bennies enter the contest 12-7 overall and 7-5 in conference play, currently seventh in the MIAC standings and just one game out of fifth place. Gustavus (12-7, 8-4 MIAC) is tied with Hamline for fifth, making Wednesday's matchup a pivotal one as the league race tightens. After facing the Gusties, St. Ben's will return home to host Carleton on Saturday, Feb. 7 at 1 p.m.

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

Sophomore guard Drew Buslee (Eagan, Minn.) quickly emerged as a centerpiece of the offense, scoring 22 points in the opener and earning tournament MVP honors. She followed that effort with a historic night on Nov. 12 at UW–Eau Claire, posting 25 points, seven rebounds, eight steals, and three assists. Her eight steals were 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 win over Dubuque on Nov. 15. The Bennies forced 32 turnovers and converted them into a 37–7 advantage in points off turnovers. Fourteen players scored in the win, led by Buslee's 16 points and five steals, while Megan Morgan (Winona, Minn.) added 11 points.

The defensive pressure carried over into an 86–57 victory over Nebraska Wesleyan. Morgan poured in a season-high 18 points, while senior Megan Driste (Sartell, Minn.) delivered a career-best 17 points to go along with five assists, four three-pointers, and three steals.

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

At the Colorado College Fall Classic, Buslee scored 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 performances 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 victory over the Gusties since 2020.

Saint Benedict carried that momentum into January with a 78–70 win over Augsburg on Jan. 3. Morgan narrowly missed a triple-double with 16 points, 10 rebounds, and a career-high eight assists, while Arnold contributed 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 from first-year Emma Theisen (Rosemount, Minn.).

After a 65–60 setback to Hamline on Jan. 10, CSB bounced back with a 60–50 win over St. Catherine, paced 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 win 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 performance, including 3-for-3 from beyond the arc, while Arnold 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. In a 67–63 loss at St. Scholastica, Young recorded 17 points and nine rebounds, while Arnold added 13 points and seven assists.

By the Numbers – Arnold Leads Division III in Free-Throw Percentage
Defense continues to be the foundation of Saint Benedict's success. The Bennies lead the MIAC in turnover margin (+6.32), rank 21st nationally in Division III, and force a league-best 21.22 turnovers per game. CSB also ranks second in the conference in steals (11.2 per game), fourth in scoring offense (65.2 points per game), and fifth in scoring defense (58.2 points per game), holding 10 opponents under 60 points.

From the free-throw line, Saint Benedict ranks among the nation's elite, shooting 75.4 percent (12th in Division III) and averaging 15.68 made free throws per game (9th nationally). The Bennies also average just 13.9 turnovers per game, ranking third in the MIAC and 36th nationally.

Individually, Buslee leads CSB at 12.5 points per game and paces the team with 35 three-pointers and 53 steals, ranking third in the MIAC. Arnold averages 11.6 points per game and leads Division III in free-throw percentage at 92.9 percent, converting 52-of-56 shots. Young has scored in double figures in nine straight games and is averaging 11.5 points and 5.8 rebounds. Theisen leads the team on the glass with 111 total rebounds (5.8 per game), with Young close behind at 110 boards.

Scouting Gustavus Adolphus
Under 14th-year head coach Laurie Kelly, Gustavus Adolphus enters the week with a 12-7 overall record and an 8-4 mark in MIAC play. The Gusties are coming off a 66–59 loss to (RV) Concordia on Jan. 31, following a 59–55 win over Hamline on Jan. 28.

Gustavus averages 62.7 points per game, ranking seventh in the MIAC, while allowing just 56.4 points per contest, second-best in the conference. Ella Peters leads the Gusties with 15.0 points per game, seventh-best in the MIAC.

Series Snapshot
Saint Benedict holds a 51–37 advantage in the all-time series, including a 28–16 mark at home and a 23–21 record in St. Peter, Minn. In the most recent meeting, the Bennies earned a 67–45 win in St. Joseph on Dec. 10, 2025, snapping a 10-game losing streak to the Gusties.

The first-ever meeting between the two programs came on Dec. 14, 1981, an 87–69 CSB victory. The last time Saint Benedict swept the regular-season series was in 2018–19, winning 63–56 in St. Peter on Jan. 9, 2019, and 64–61 at Claire Lynch Hall on Dec. 1, 2018.

Coach Durbin Reaches 778 Career Wins
Head coach Mike Durbin continues to build on 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.