ST. PAUL, Minn. — Gustavus women’s basketball turned a slow start into a 23-point victory over Macalester Saturday afternoon, defeating the Scots 69-46 for their 11th-straight victory and a conference record of 16-2.
Against the Scots earlier this season, the Gusties managed a 49-point differential in the 89-40 win. The Scots, however, entered Saturday’s game determined to keep the league-leading Gusties at bay. And it was mission accomplished for Macalester through the first quarter. The first ten minutes saw five lead changes between the two teams, with the Scots leading the Gusties by as many as six, 12-6, though the first quarter. Macalester ended the quarter with a 19-17 lead and a bit of hope for the rest of the game.
But that hope was short-lived.
The Gusties took back the driver’s seat in the second quarter, outscoring the Scots 23-10. Anna Sanders (Sr., Vadnais Heights) and Syd Hauger (Jr., Springfield) helped the Gusties take back the lead, each scoring five points in the second frame to give the Gusties a 40-29 lead at halftime.
From there, it was routine work for the Gustie offense. Lexi Shermann (Jr., Mayer) came off the bench in the third quarter and immediately hit a three to give the Gusties a 20-point lead over the Scots. Scoring stood still for nearly four minutes to start the fourth quarter, as both teams showcased their defensive prowess early in the final frame. A free throw from Grace Benz (Sr., Steele, N.D.) broke the silence and opened things back up for the Gusties with six minutes to play. Sanders hit back-to-back 3-pointers for the biggest lead of the game at 26 points, but the Scots had the final word, scoring a last second layup, setting up the final at 69-46.
Emma Kniefel (Jr., Medford) led all scorers with 15 points in the game, shooting 50.0% from the field. Kylie Baranick (So., Maple Grove) and Sanders finished with 11 points each, including three of four 3-point attempts made for Sanders. Benz led the Gustie rebounding, with 10 on the game, followed by Rachel Kawiecki (So., Richfield) and Sanders who shared second with six each.
The Gusties are back in action on Wednesday, hosting Concordia for a 7:45 p.m. match-up between the conference’s top two teams.