The 2012-13 Gustavus basketball team at its post-season awards banquet.

The 2012-13 Gustavus basketball team at its post-season awards banquet.

St. Peter, Minn. – The Gustavus Adolphus women’s basketball team announced its team awards for the 2012-13 season at its post-season banquet held April 28 in the Three Crowns Room.  Along with honoring six seniors for their four years of hard work and commitment to Gustavus women’s basketball, Head Coach Laurie Kelly named the team’s Defensive Player-of-the-Year, Most Valuable Teammate, Most Improved Player, and Most Valuable Player.

Whitney Novak

Julia Dysthe

Taking home Defensive Player-of-the-Year honors was junior guard Julia Dysthe (White Bear Lake, Minn.).  Given the task of locking down to opposition’s top guard throughout the season, Dysthe was the anchor the Gustavus’s perimeter defense.  The junior averaged a team-high 31.9 minutes per game and led the Gusties with 57 steals, ranking her ninth in the MIAC.  Dysthe averaged 12.3 points per game and shot 46.3-percent from the field and 89.8-percent from the free throw line.

Earning the Most Valuable Teammate Award was senior guard Whitney Novak (Oak Park Heights, Minn.).  A team player with an always upbeat, always positive attitude, Novak was a vocal leader on the Gustavus bench.  Novak played career-high 22 minutes and scored three points in her one career start against Bethel on Jan. 23.  The Gusties went on to beat the Royals 69-42 in that game.  The Stillwater High School product played in a total of 33 games over her four-year career.

The team’s Most Improved Player Award went to senior Mia Sandstrom (Chanhassen, Minn.).  Playing in just 13 games leading up to her senior campaign, Sandstrom saw the court in all 26 games and averaged 17.6 minutes for Coach Kelly this season.  She scored 86 points after shooting .538 from the field.  Sandstrom also brought down 85 rebounds and scored double-figures on two occasions – one of which being a 10-point night after going 5-for-7 from the floor against Saint Mary’s in the first round of the MIAC Playoffs.

Mia Sandstrom

Abby Rothenbuehler

Standout senior forward Abby Rothenbuehler (North Mankato, Minn.) rounded out the night’s awards section by being named the team’s Most Valuable Player.  The lone Gustie representative on the 2012-13 All-Conference Team, Rothenbuehler scored a career-high 327 points for an average of 12.6 points per game.  The Black and Gold’s leading scorer shot .483 from the field, .447 from three-point range, and .743 at the line.  A local product from North Mankato, Rothenbuehler registered 2,196 minutes in 106 total games for Gustavus.  She is the program’s all-time leader in blocked shots with 121 and ranks fifth in rebounding with 681 boards.  Abby scored 897 total points and was a career 44.9-percent shooter with a Gustavus jersey on her back.

Following the team awards presentation, Coach Kelly announced the team captains for the 2013-14 season.  The new captains taking the reigns include Julia Dysthe, Rachelle Blaschko (Jr., Henderson, Minn.), and Britta Rinke (Jr., Waconia, Minn.).

Abby Rothenbuehler named to the 2012-13 All-Conference Team.

Abby Rothenbuehler named to the 2012-13 All-Conference Team.

St. Peter, Minn. - Gustavus Adolphus senior forward Abby Rothenbuehler (North Mankato, Minn.) has been named to the 2012-13 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball All-Conference Team for the first time in her career.  Rothenbuehler is one of 15 players from around the league to earn a spot on the All-MIAC Team.

Also representing the Black and Gold in the conference’s post-season awards is rookie Karina Schroeder (Lake Crystal, Minn.), senior Kelsey Florian (Roseville, Minn.), and junior Julia Dysthe (White Bear Lake, Minn.).  Schroeder earned a place on the MIAC All-First-Year Team, while Florian and Dysthe both garnered All-MIAC Honorable Mention distinction.

Concordia senior guard Emily Thesing headlined the awards as the MIAC Women’s Basketball Player-of-the-Year. St. Olaf first-year guard Kim Cerjan was voted the Sixth Player-of-the-Year and Saint Mary’s Head Coach Mandy Pearson was honored by her peers as the league’s Coach-of-the-Year.

Karina Schroeder earned a spot on the MIAC All-Rookie Team.

Senior forward Abby Rothenbuehler takes home All-Conference marks after leading the Gusties in scoring with a career-high 327 points and a 12.6 points per game average.  Within conference play, Rothenbuehler ranked 10th in the league in scoring, averaging 12.9 ppg.  The senior shot 48.3-percent (129-267) from the field, 44.7-percent (17-38) from three-point range, and 74.3-percent (52-70) at the free throw line this season.  Her 48.7-percent field goal shooting percentage within league play ranked fifth in the MIAC.

“Very deserving for Abby – what a great way to end her career here at Gustavus,” said Head Coach Laurie Kelly.  “Our go-to player throughout the year, [Roth] was one of the best rebounders in the league.  It’s great to see her go out as being recognized as one of top 15 players in the league.”

Rothenbuehler brought down a career-best 213 rebounds this season, averaging a near double-double with a rounding average of 8.2.  She averaged 8.1 boards (3rd/MIAC) against league opponents and recorded four double-doubles on the year.

Over her four-year career wearing a three-crowned jersey, Rothenbuehler played in 106 games, ranking her fifth in Gustavus history alongside Kelly Etzel `93, Jess Vadnais `08, and Molly Geske `12.  The North Mankato, Minn. native scored 897 points and was a career .449 shooter from the field.  A consistent force in the paint, Rothenbuehler leaves the program as the all-time blocked shots leader with a total of 121 over her career.  She also ranks fifth all-time in rebounding with 681 boards.

Julia Dysthe garnered All-MIAC Honorable Mention honors.

Alongside Abby on the blocks this season was first-year post Karina Schroeder who becomes Gustavus’s first member on the All-Rookie Team since 2010-11 when Eli Benz earned the honor.  Schroeder was the squad’s fourth-leading scorer, averaging 9.6 points per game and shooting a team-best 54.2-percent from the field.  In conference play, Karina ranked second in the league in shooting at a 55.1-percent clip from the floor.  To go along with her scoring statistics, the Lake Crystal, Minn. product finished second on the team in rebounding with 141 boards and a 5.6 rpg average.

“A unanimous pick for the All-First-Year Team, Karina is another deserving recipient,” commented Kelly.  “Her future is so bright in the MIAC.  She has the potential and ability to be one of the dominant post players in this league.  To be recognized as one of the top first-years is a great honor and I look forward to seeing her career unfold here at Gustavus.”

Julia Dysthe and Kelsey Florian round out Gustavus’s award winners with All-Conference Honorable Mention accolades.  Starting in all 26 games, Dysthe finished second on the team in scoring with 319 points and a 12.3 ppg average.  She shot 46.3-percent from the field and missed just five free throws all season, ending the year with 89.8-percent shooting mark from the charity stripe.  The junior guard turned it on towards the end of the season, averaging 14.5 points and 3.6 rebounds over Gustavus’s last 10 games.

Kelsey closes out her career on the All-MIAC Honorable Mention Team.

Florian – the 2012 MIAC Sixth Player-of-the-Year – scored a career-best 289 points (11.6 ppg) and shot 42.9-percent from the field to cap off her tenure at Gustavus.  She scored in double-figures 19 times and proved herself at the free throw line with a .762 shooting mark.

“It was nice to see both Kelsey and Julia recognized on honorable mention team,” said Kelly.  “Kelsey was a great leader and captain for us and it’s great to see her end her career on a high note.”

“Dysthe was probably our best all around player – both offensively and defensively, she was consistent on both ends of the court.  I look forward to having her back and coaching her to what will hopefully be a great senior year.”

As part of a conference-wide sportsmanship initiative, the MIAC also announced the seventh annual All-MIAC Sportsmanship team for women’s basketball. Members of the All-MIAC Sportsmanship team are selected by their coaches and teammates as individuals who demonstrate ideals of positive sportsmanship both on and off the field of competition.  Kelsey Florian was selected as the Gusties’ representative on this year’s team.

MIAC Release

Abby Rothenbuehler led the Gusties with 18 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field on Tuesday night.

Winona, Minn. – The Gustavus Adolphus women’s basketball team saw its 2012-13 season come to an end with a 76-69 loss to Saint Mary’s University on Tuesday night in the opening round of the MIAC Playoffs.  Despite a strong start and a 45-36 lead at halftime, the Gusties couldn’t keep the surging Cardinals at bay in the final 20 minutes.  Saint Mary’s took its first lead of the game at the 5:13 mark of the second half and would not relinquish it for the remainder of the contest.

“We were the better team for 30 minutes, but unfortunately it’s a 40-minute game and you have to be able to play a complete game to come away with a win in the playoffs,” said Head Coach Laurie Kelly.  “A lot can happen over ten minutes and you have to give Saint Mary’s credit for battling back.  They had a lot of energy and fed off the momentum of the crowd in the final stages.  It was a good playoff environment, but it makes it even harder knowing we were in control for so long.”

With the win, the Cardinals advance to the semifinals of the MIAC Playoffs and will face St. Thomas at 7:30 p.m. in St. Paul on Thursday, Feb. 21.  Saint Mary’s improves to 22-4 overall, while Gustavus ends its season at 15-11.

After the three-hour bus ride from St. Peter to Winona, the Gusties got off to the start they were looking for.  A layup by Abby Rothenbuehler (Sr., North Mankato, Minn.) at the 17:49 mark of the first half put Gustavus on top 8-0.  Rothenbuehler scored six of the team’s first eight points and would go on to finish the half with 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the field.

“Our game plan going in worked very well to start.  We got the looks we wanted and shot 63-percent in the first half,” said Kelly.  “We were aggressive on the boards and were able to convert on our chances around the rim.”

After Gustavus went up 11-2 a minute later on a three-pointer by Kelsey Florian (Sr., Roseville, Minn.), the Cardinals began to find their scoring – cutting the lead to five points (13-8) by the 14:27 mark.  With the lead cut to three (19-16) at 10:26, Gustavus scored five straight to go up 24-16 with 8:21 on the clock.

Gustavus’ lead lingered in the high single digits over the remainder of the first half.  The Gusties’ largest lead of the half was nine points, which they attained four times within the last four minutes.  Driving down the right lane with time dwindling on the shot clock, Julia Dysthe (Jr., White Bear Lake, Minn.) converted on a layup and was fouled in the process.  She made the free toss to give the Black and Gold a 45-36 advantage at the break.

Along with Rothenbuehler’s 14 first half points, Dysthe followed next in line with 11 after going 5-for-7 from the field.  Gustavus shot a hot 63.3-percent from the floor as a team, going 2-for-3 from three-point range and 5-for-7 at the free throw line.

Saint Mary’s shot 39.3-percent from the field and was led in scoring by Courtney Euerle and Jamie Stefely who both had eight points.

The Gusties kicked off the second half much like they did the first.  After a 5-0 run, they were on top 50-34 with 18:21 left to play.  Saint Mary’s responded to the fast start with an 8-1 run to cut the margin down to seven (51-44) with 14:51 remaining.  A three-pointer by Stephanie Comer (Sr., Minnetonka, Minn.) less than a minute later put the Gusties back up by double figures at 54-44.  Unfortunately for Gustavus, the Comer three also signified the start of a Cardinal run that would be the difference in the game.

Mia Sandstrom scored 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting in her third start of the year.

Following a 12-2 scoring run that spanned over four minutes, Saint Mary’s had battled back to tie the game at 56-56.  After trading points, the score was tied at 58-58 with 8:31 on the clock.  Gustavus would be stuck on 58 points until the 4:48 mark, by which time a pair of free throws by Rothenbuehler cut what was now a Saint Mary’s lead to 63-60.

Despite cutting the advantage to one point on two occasions in the final four minutes, the Cardinals answered with a basket on the ensuing possession both times.  A 10-0 Saint Mary’s run in a two-minute, 45-second time-span was the back-breaker, as Gustavus trailed 75-64 with :29 seconds left.

“Saint Mary’s did an outstanding job turning up its defense in the second half,” commented Kelly.  “They got in our face and we didn’t handle the pressure.  We turned the ball over and because of that they were able to get to the rim on transition.  The biggest stat that stands out tonight, aside from our turnovers, is free throws.  It’s hard to beat a team that scores 32 points from the line.”

As Kelly stated, turnovers and free throws were the difference in the second half, as Saint Mary’s forced 13 Gustavus turnovers and went 19-23 at the charity stripe.  In the game, the Cardinals scored 22 points off of the Gusties’ 23 turnovers and finished 32-for-37 (86.5%) at the line.

Abby Rothenbuehler, who got into in foul trouble early, finished with a game-high 18 points after scoring four in the second half.  She went 5-for-8 from the field and a perfect 8-for-8 at the line while bringing down six rebounds.  Steph Comer scored 13 points after going 5-for-9 from the floor and 3-for-4 from three.  Julia Dysthe added 11 points (5-11), and Mia Sandstrom (Sr., Chanhassen, Minn.) had 10 (5-7).

“Abby Rothenbuehler and Mia Sandstrom were both great tonight,” said Kelly.  “For someone who has come off the bench virtually the entire year, Mia was aggressive and was able to pick up the slack for us.  Although she was in foul trouble, Abby was solid on both ends of the floor – rebounding, scoring, and taking care of the ball all game.”

As a team, Gustavus went 25-for-55 (47.3%) from the field, 5-for-10 (50%) from three, and 12-for-15 (80%) at the line.  Saint Mary’s finished 21-for-56 (37.5%) from the floor and 2-for-11 (18.2%) from beyond the arc.

Box Score

St. Peter, Minn. - The Gustavus Adolphus women’s basketball team will travel to Winona, Minn. to face Saint Mary’s University in the opening round of the MIAC Playoffs on Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m.  The Gusties enter the MIAC Playoffs as the No. 6 seed after finishing the regular season 15-10 overall and 14-8 in the MIAC, while Saint Mary’s comes in as the No. 3 seed after finishing 21-4 overall and 18-4 in the MIAC.

To assist fans throughout the playoffs, the MIAC has set up a home page for the 2012-13 MIAC Women’s Basketball Playoffs featuring the teams, seeds, schedules, tiebreaker criteria and more. Throughout the Playoffs, the page will be updated with results, recaps, links to live videos and live stats and more. Fans can follow all the action on the MIAC scoreboard site.

Gustavus Statistics

Gustavus Game Notes

Saint Mary’s Statistics

Saint Mary’s Game Notes

Live video/stats for Tuesday’s playoff game will be provided by the Saint Mary’s Sports Information Department.

Julia Dysthe led the Gusties in scoring with 14 points while also bringing down five rebounds.

Moorhead, Minn. - The Gustavus Adolphus women’s basketball team could not overcome an early deficit in a 65-49 loss to Concordia College on Saturday afternoon at the Memorial Auditorium.  The Cobbers took advantage of 19 Gustavus turnovers and shot 46.7-percent from the field in the second half to secure the victory and win the 2013 MIAC Championship outright.  Gustavus concludes the 2012-13 regular season with an overall record of 15-10 and an MIAC mark of 14-8.  Concordia heads into the MIAC Playoffs the No. 1 seed with an overall record of 20-5 and an MIAC mark of 19-3.

After a back-and-forth opening five minutes of the game, a pair of free throws by Concordia’s Erika Jossart sparked a 9-1 run that put the Cobbers up 19-9 with 7:33 left to play in the half.  Gustavus was forced to play catchup for the remaining minutes, cutting the lead to four points (27-23) with :33 seconds remaining on two free throws by Kelsey Florian (Sr., Roseville, Minn.).  Jossart knocked down two more free tosses with :07 seconds left to put her squad up 29-23 at the break.

Gustavus outshot the Cobbers 38.1 to 33.3-percent from the field in the first half, yet was plagued by 11 turnovers inside the frame.  Florian led the Gusties with eight points after going 2-for-4 from the field and 4-for-4 at the line.  She finished the game with 11 points on 3-of-6 shooting.

The Cobbers scored six of the first eight points of the second half to extend its margin to double-figures at 35-25 with 17:38 on the clock.  After a jumper by Abby Rothenbuehler (Sr., North Mankato, Minn.) cut the lead to eight, Concordia blew that game open with a 17-3 scoring run that brought the score to 52-30 with 11:51 left in the game.

The Gusties chipped away at the deficit and brought the deficit to 59-49 by the 3:10 mark.  Ten points would be all the closer Gustavus would come, as St. Olaf scored the last six points of the afternoon to bring the contest to a final.

Julia Dysthe (Jr., White Bear Lake, Minn.) led Gustavus with 10 second half points points after going a perfect 4-for-4 from the field and 2-for-2 from three-point range.  Dysthe paced Gusties in scoring for the game with 14 points after going 6-for-11 from the floor and 2-for-4 from three.

Dysthe’s 14 second half points was no match for the combined 27 points scored by Concordia’s Emily Thesing and Tricia Sorensen.  Thesing went 6-for-9 from the field and hit three triples to lead the way with 17 points, while Sorensen scored 10 after going 4-for-7 from the field.

After shooting 39.1-percent from the field in final 20 minutes, Gustavus finished the game 17-for-44 (38.6%) from the floor, 4-for-14 (28.6%) from beyond the arc, and 11-for-17 (64.7%) at the free throw line.

Thesing led all scorers with 22 points after going 8-for-17 from the field.  Erika Jossart scored 13 (4-12), and Sorensen added 10 (4-10).  The Cobbers ended up 23-for-57 (40.4%) from the floor, 7-for-18 (38.9%) from three, and 12-for-16 (75%) at the line.

With the playoff field set, the Gustavus women’s basketball team will head on the road to Winona, Minn. to face Saint Mary’s in the MIAC Playoff Semifinals on Tuesday, Feb. 19.  The Gusties and Cardinals will square off at 7:30 p.m.

Box Score

MIAC Playoffs Website

Julia Dysthe drives to the lane on Carleton's Skylar Tsutsui.

Julia Dysthe drives to the lane on Carleton's Skylar Tsutsui.

St. Peter, Minn. – The Gustavus Adolphus women’s basketball team made the plays down the stretch to stay ahead and ultimately defeat Carleton by the score of 62-58 on Wednesday night at Gus Young Court.  The Gustavus women’s basketball team heads into its regular season finale against Concordia with a record of 15-9 overall and 14-7 in the MIAC, while Carleton drops to 6-18 overall, and 6-15 in the MIAC with the loss.

“We didn’t shoot the ball as well as we’d like and missed a lot of easy lay-ins tonight.  We got the looks we wanted but weren’t able to convert on them, especially in the second half.  That’s tough on a team mentally, but we did the things we needed to tonight to pull out a victory,” said Head Coach Laurie Kelly.

“With Steph Comer being out we were short on our bench, but a lot of players stepped up to fill that hole and that’s a positive looking forward.  It’s a good win for this group of seniors in their last game on Gus Young Court.”

With the score tied at 8-8 with 15:41 left in the opening half, Gustavus outscored the Knights 14-2 over the next seven minutes to grab a 22-10 lead on a Karina Schroeder (Fy., Lake Crystal, Minn.) layup to end the run.  Schroeder scored 10 of Gustavus’ first 20 points, going 5-for-6 from the field for 12 first half points.

After Carleton cut the lead to seven points (24-17) on a Gabbi Stienstra three-pointer at the 5:04 mark, Gustavus outscored the Knight’s 12-4 over the remaining minutes to take a 36-21 lead into the break.

Gustavus shot 46.2-percent from the field compared to Carleton’s 34.6-percent in the first half.

Karina Schroeder battles for position on the blocks.

The Gusties opened the second half with an Abby Rothenbuehler (Sr., North Mankato, Minn.) jumper to take their largest lead of the game at 38-21.  The Black and Gold held a comfortable double-digit advantage for four minutes until Carleton brought the score within nine points on two occasions at the 13:38 (42-33) and 12:56 (44-35) marks.

After Gustavus built its margin back up to 15 (52-37) by 9:29, Carleton began to chip away and knock down shots.  The Knights first whittled the lead to 55-45 with 5:53 left to play, then cut the lead to 60-56 with 1:48 on the clock.

With offensive possession down four points with less than :40 seconds to play, Carleton had a chance to cut the lead even further.  Rothenbuehler jumped in front of a Skylar Tsutsui cross-court pass with :16 seconds left to force a turnover and give Gustavus back the ball.

After Rachelle Blaschko (Jr., Henderson, Minn.) missed the open end of 1-and-1 free throw opportunity, Jenny Ramey delivered a layup on the other end to cut the lead to 60-58 with :08 seconds remaining.  With no timeouts left, Gustavus got the inbounds pass to Julia Dysthe (Jr., White Bear Lake, Minn.) who went to the other end and knocked down both free throws, bringing the game to a final at 62-58.

“Give credit to Carleton who just kept battling back and hanging around.  Tsutsui was terrific all game long and they hit some big shots when it mattered,” said Kelly.  “We made the plays we needed to make down the stretch.  Abby Rothenbuehler came up with a big steal with under :20 seconds to play, and we got the ball into our best free throw shooter’s hands on the final possession.  It was a good way to finish tonight’s game.”

Kelsey Florian looks inside from the perimeter.

Carleton was hot in the second half, shooing 51.7-percent from the field.  Tsutsui led the charge with 18 points in the second half after going 7-for-11 from the field and 3-for-6 from three-point range.  She led all scorers in the game with 21 points on 8-for-17 shooting from the floor and 4-for-8 shooting from three.

Gustavus finished 23-for-57 (40.4%) from the field, 3-for-11 from three (27.3%), and 13-for-15 (86.7%) at the line.  Carleton ended up 24-for-55 (43.6%) from the field, 7-for-21 (33.3%) from beyond the arc, and 3-for-4 (75%) at the charity stripe.

Karina Schroeder added just two points in the second half but finished with a team-high 14 points on 6-of-12 shooting.  Rothenbuehler filled out the scoresheet with a double-double, scoring 12 points after going 3-for-10 from the floor and 5-for-5 at the line and bringing down 10 rebounds.  Kelsey Florian (Sr., Roseville, Minn.) went 5-for-11 for 13 points, and Julia Dysthe went 3-for-9 for 10.

The Gusties won the battle on the glass by a 38-28 margin and committed three less turnovers (16-19).

The Gustavus women’s basketball team will cap the 2012-13 regular season with a trip to Moorhead, Minn. to take on Concordia on Saturday, Feb. 16.  Game time against the current MIAC leader is set for 1:00 p.m.

“This is a great opportunity,” commented Kelly about the upcoming game against the Cobbers.  “Concordia has at least a share of the MIAC title in its hands and this game Saturday means a lot to them with a chance to wing the league outright.  The game will have a good atmosphere and it’s a chance to play spoiler to a certain extent.  More than that, it’s a chance to acclimate yourself to going on the road an playing in a must-win game.”

Box Score

Photo Gallery

St. Peter, Minn. - The Gustavus Adolphus women’s basketball team will play host to Carleton College in a MIAC matchup on Wednesday, Feb. 13 at 7:30 p.m. on Gus Young Court.  With a spot in the 2013 MIAC Playoffs secure, Gustavus enters the game at 14-9 overall and 13-7 in the MIAC, while Carleton comes in at 6-17 overall and 6-14 in the MIAC.

Gustavus Game Notes

Live video and live stats for Wednesday’s game will be provided by the Gustavus Sports Information Department.  Ethan Armstrong and Assistant Sports Information Director Tyler Grey will be on hand for the live call of the action.

The 2012-13 Gustavus women's basketball seniors were honored as a part of Senior Day before today's game.

The 2012-13 Gustavus women's basketball seniors were honored as a part of Senior Day before today's game.

St. Peter, Minn. – Junior guard Julia Dysthe (White Bear Lake, Minn.) scored a career-high 21 points to lead the Gustavus women’s basketball team to a 67-59 victory over St. Catherine University on Saturday afternoon at Gus Young Court.

“I thought we would  come out of the gate with a little more energy, but we struggled to make shots early and that took the wind out of us,” said head coach Laurie Kelly.  “You have to give St. Kate’s a lot of credit – they made shots when they needed to.  With only seven of their kids seeing the court, they battled from start to finish.”

With a 33-32 lead after a sleepy first half, Gustavus turned up the intensity halfway through the second, going on a 16-2 run in a four-minute stretch to open up an 18-point lead (65-47) with less than five minutes to play.  The run turned out to be the difference, as St. Kate’s could not recover in the remaining time.

With the win, Gustavus secures a spot in the 2013 MIAC Playoffs.  The Gusties improve to 14-9 overall and 13-7 in the MIAC, while St. Catherine drops to 2-21 overall and 1-19 in the MIAC.

With an 11-10 edge at the 13:39 mark of the first half, Gustavus used a 10-3 scoring run to open up a 21-13 lead with 9:31 left in the half.  Like they did throughout the half, the Wildcats responded, going on a 13-2 run that put them up 26-23 with 6:19 on the clock.

Following the run by St. Kate’s, there would be five lead changes over the final five minutes of the half.  A jumper by Julia Dysthe proved to be the final lead change of the half, putting Gustavus on top 33-32 heading into the break.

Julia Dsythe scored 21 points to lead the Gusties to a win over St. Kate’s

The Wildcats outshot the Gusties 44.4 to 43.8-percent in the opening half.  Dysthe led the way with 11 first half points on 5-of-8 shooting, while Mary Neumann of St. Kates’ scored 12 after going 5-for-10 from the field and 2-for-3 from three-point range.

After Neumann scored the first two points of the second half to put St. Catherine up 34-33, an Abby Rothenbuehler (Sr., North Mankato, Minn.) three-pointer sparked a 12-0 scoring-spree that put the Gusties on top 45-34 with 14:50 left to play.

St. Kate’s chipped away at the lead over the next five minutes, cutting it down to four points (49-45) with 10:10 on the clock.  The four point deficit would be as close as the Wildcats would come, as Gustavus took its largest lead of the game at 18 points (65-47) with 5:52 remaining following a 16-2 run.  Eight of the points inside the run were scored by Julia Dysthe, and six of those eight points were the end result of her own steal.

Dysthe added 10 more points in the second half, bringing her a to a game-high total of 21.  The junior went 10-for-17 from the field and recorded a game-high six steals.

“Dysthe brought a lot of energy to the court today,” said Kelly.  “She anticipates well at the top of our zone and had six steals because of it.  Julia is another one of our players who has to score for us to be successful.  Today, we saw her ability to do so in a variety of different ways.”

After a 45.2-percent shooting second half, Gustavus finished 28-for-63 (44.4%) from the field, 2-for-9 from three (22.2%), and 9-for-11 (81.8%) at the line.

Along with Dysthe in double-figures, Karina Schroeder (Fy., Lake Crystal, Minn.) finished with 14 points after going 5-for-9 from the floor and 4-for-6 at the stripe.  Rothenbuehler had a near double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds, while Kesley Florian (Sr., Roseville, Minn.) rounded out Gustavus’ top scorers with 11 as well.

Mary Neumann led St. Catherine with 22 points after going 9-for-15 from the floor and 4-for-6 from three.  As a team, St. Kate’s went 21-for-56 (37.5%) from the field, 8-for-26 (30.8%) from three, and 9-for-9 (100%) at the line.

“Our focus this week was just to secure a playoff spot,” Kelly said.  “At this point, you are basically waiting to see where the chips fall – it’s almost like a new season already.  We have two tough games to finish out the regular season against Carleton and Concordia, and a lot can still happen in terms of positioning in the league.”

The Gustavus women’s basketball team will play on Gus Young Court for the final time in the regular season on Wednesday, Feb. 13 at 7:30 p.m.

“We just need to play better basketball.  The goal is to head into the post-season playing your best and right now we are not doing that.  The importance of this week becomes that much greater because of that,” concluded Kelly.  “This week is going to be a good simulation of what the playoffs will be like, so hopefully we can build some momentum through these last couple games.”

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St. Peter, Minn. - The Gustavus Adolphus women’s basketball team is set to face St. Catherine University on Senior Day this Saturday at 3:00 p.m. on Gus Young Young.  Gustavus is looking to get back in the win column after falling 68-54 to St. Thomas on Wednesday in St. Paul.  The Gusties enter the weekend in a tie for fifth place in the league standings at 13-9 overall and 12-7 in the MIAC.  With a Gustavus win or a St. Olaf loss, Gustavus has a chance to clinch a spot in the MIAC Playoffs Saturday afternoon.  St. Kate’s looks to play spoiler in the Lund Center Forum, coming in at 2-20 overall and 1-18 in the MIAC.

Along with its Senior Day billing, Saturday’s contest will also be Gustavus’ Play 4Kay game. The 2013 Play 4Kay initiative (formerly known as WBCA Pink Zone) is an opportunity for a nation of coaches to raise breast cancer awareness and funds for research on the court, across campuses, in communities and beyond. Since its inception in 2007, the Play 4Kay initiative has raised over $2 million to support women’s cancer research.

Gustavus Game Notes

Live video and live stats for Saturday’s game will be provided by the Gustavus Sports Information Department.  Assistant Sports Information Director Tyler Grey will be on hand for the live call of the action.

Karina Schroeder scored a team-high 14 points and brought down a game-high eight rebounds against St. Thomas on Wednesday night.

St. Paul – The Gustavus women’s basketball team could not recover from a slow start on Wednesday night at Schoenecker Arena, falling to the University of St. Thomas by the score of 68-54.  St. Thomas grabbed a 15-point halftime lead, shooting 57-percent in the opening half and riding the red-hot three-point shooting display of Kellie Ring who went 6-for-6 from three in the first half.

Gustavus falls to 13-9 overall and 12-7 in the MIAC with the loss, while St. Thomas improves to 17-5 overall and 15-4 in the MIAC with its fourth straight win.

“We gave up 43 points in the first half and you can’t do that on the road,” said head coach Laurie Kelly.  “We played man, we played zone, yet could not get stops.  It makes it difficult when you put pressure on your offense to score like that.  We lacked the ability to get stops and that put us in a hole.  That, along with the physicality of the game, played into the advantage of St. Thomas.”

With St. Thomas leading by a narrow margin at 15-14 with 11:35 left in the first half, the Tommies went on an 11-0 scoring run in less than a three-minute time-span to go up 26-14.

Gustavus cut the deficit to seven points on three occasions with under ten minutes left in the half, yet could not close the gap any further.  The Tommies ended the opening period on an 8-2 run to go up 43-28 at the break.

St. Thomas’ Kellie Ring scored 18 of her 22 total points in the first half.  She finished 6-for-8 from three-point range and 4-for-4 at the free throw line.  Gustavus shot 44.8-percent from the field in the half – led in scoring by Karina Schroeder (Fy., Lake Crystal, Minn.) who had 10 points.

Although the Gusties held the Tommies to seven field goals in the second half, the Black and Gold turned the ball over ten times and shot 38.2-percent in the frame.  St. Thomas held on to comfortable double-figure lead for the duration of the half, going 11-for-11 at the charity stripe and shooting 43.4-percent from the field.

Gustavus finished the game 21-for-55 (38.2%) from the field, 2-for-7 (28.6%) from three, and 10-for-11 (90.9%) at the line.

Schroeder and Kelsey Florian (Sr., Roseville, Minn.) led the Gusties in scoring with 14 points each.  Schroeder went 7-for-14 from the field and brought down a game-high eight rebounds, five of which were on the offensive end.  Florian went 4-for-12 from the floor and 6-for-6 at the line.  Julia Dysthe (Jr., White Bear Lake, Minn.) finished next in line with 11 points on 4-of-12 shooting.

“Karina was great inside on both the offensive and defensive ends.  She handled Smith well and was great on the boards,” Kelly said about her rookie post.

St. Thomas finished 43.4-percent (23-53) from the field, 42.1-percent (42.1%) from three, and 87.5-percent (87.5%) at the stripe.  The Tommie defense forced 19 turnovers on the evening, scoring a total of 26 points off turnovers.

The Gustavus women’s basketball team will be back on the court Saturday afternoon when it takes on St. Catherine University at 3:00 p.m. on Gus Young Court.  Saturday’s game is designated as Senior Day as there will be a special tribute made to the Golden Gustie seniors prior to the game.

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