ST. PETER, Minn. — Sophomore guard
Lauren Arnold (Chanhassen, Minn.) scored 17 points, but the College of Saint Benedict basketball team dropped a 60-54 decision to Gustavus Adolphus in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference matchup Wednesday night.
The setback dropped the Bennies to 12-8 overall and 7-6 in MIAC play, leaving them seventh in the conference standings. Gustavus Adolphus improved to 13-7 overall and 9-4 in league action. The teams split the regular-season series after CSB earned a 67-45 win in St. Joseph on Dec. 10.
Saint Benedict built a nine-point advantage by halftime (25-16) but was outscored, 44-29, in the second half. The Bennies led 11-9 after one quarter and took a 25-16 edge into the break, holding the Gusties to 25.9 percent shooting in the opening half.
Arnold led CSB offensively, shooting 7-for-10 from the field and knocking down both of her three-point attempts.
Alyssa Sadlovsky (Pierz, Minn.) and
Drew Buslee (Eagan, Minn.) each added 11 points, with Buslee also contributing six rebounds and three assists. Senior
Kira Young (Hudson, Minn.) pulled down a team-high seven rebounds and scored five points.
Saint Benedict struggled to find consistency after halftime, finishing the game at 32.1 percent shooting (17-of-53) and 30.4 percent from three-point range (7-of-23). The Bennies were also outscored 28-16 in the paint and narrowly lost the rebounding battle, 33-30, despite converting 13 of 15 free-throw attempts.
CSB opened the game with balanced scoring, as five different players found the basket in the first quarter.
Megan Driste (Sartell, Minn.) capped the early run with a three-pointer that gave the Bennies an 11-5 lead midway through the period. Both teams shot 25 percent in the opening quarter, with Gustavus closing the gap to 11-9 at the horn.
In the second quarter, Arnold and Sadlovsky helped Saint Benedict stretch the lead to as many as 11 points. A late 9-2 run put the Bennies up, 25-14, before Gustavus scored in the final seconds to trim the deficit to nine at halftime. CSB forced 10 turnovers in the half while recording four steals and four blocked shots.
The momentum shifted in the third quarter. Saint Benedict briefly pushed its lead to 11 points on an Arnold layup, but Gustavus responded with a series of runs. Despite two more three-pointers from Arnold, the Gusties cut the deficit to 36-34 by the end of the quarter, outscoring CSB, 18-11, in the period.
Gustavus opened the fourth quarter with a decisive 9-2 run to take the lead at 43-38. Arnold's three-point play pulled the Bennies within two, but the Gusties continued to apply pressure, extending the margin to seven late (51-44). Saint Benedict made one final push, cutting the lead to 53-49 with just over a minute remaining, but could not close the gap.
St. Ben's will look to rebound Saturday (Feb. 7) when they return home to host Carleton at 1 p.m., in Claire Lynch Hall.
