SAINT PETER, Minn. — The No. 22 nationally ranked Gusties were nothing if not impressive Wednesday night. Scoring 83 points, the Gustavus women’s basketball team rolled over Saint Benedict to complete the series sweep, improving to 15-2 in conference play and 18-2 overall.
The Gusties took a commanding lead over the Bennies in the first half, thanks large in part to the efforts of Anna Sanders (Sr., Vadnais Heights) and Kylie Baranick (So., Maple Grove). Sanders went 5-for-8 from the field in the first half, netting three of four 3-pointers, including back-to-back threes to give the Gusties an early 9-4 lead in the first quarter. Baranick, shooting 4-for-5 from the field, picked of 10 points of her own to help the Gusties to a 41-23 lead heading into the locker room at the half.
Rachel Kawiecki (So., Richfield) got the Gusties rolling after halftime, sparking a 12-point scoring run to start the third quarter. Saint Benedict clawed back to get within 20 of the Gusties in the third, but their efforts were no match for the red-hot Gustavus offense. After building a lead of 30 midway through the fourth quarter, a last minute hook shot from Sienna Wiebusch (Sr., Saint Peter) closed out the game at 83-57 for the Gusties’ 10th straight win.
Sanders was dominant on both ends of the court, finishing the game with 17 points and three steals. Her partner in crime Baranick totaled 21 points on the night, and shared the love with her teammates, dishing out seven assists. Baranick’s 21 tied her season- and career-high made earlier this season against Hamline. Grace Benz (Sr., Steele, N.D.) led the Gustie rebounding with eight, while Kawiecki added six and capped off the night with 10 points of her own.
Both teams were 3-point happy, attempting a total of 31 in the game, with the Gusties going 9-for-16 and 21 of the Bennies’ points coming from behind the arc.
The Gusties hit the road on Saturday, heading to Macalester to complete their MIAC series against the Scots at 3 p.m.