The Gustavus women’s basketball team defeated Millsaps College 61-53 on Saturday afternoon in the opening game of the McWilliams Classic in St. Louis, Missouri. The win is the second straight for the Gusties. Sophomore post Bri Monahan led all scorers with 20 points, while senior post Kristin Kachelmyer recorded her second double-double in as many games with 12 points, 14 rebounds, and four blocks. Junior forward Miranda Rosar led the way for the Lady Majors with 18 points and 10 rebounds.
The Gusties’ offense started off slow in the game, but proved to be the most potent when the players could work the ball inside. Gustavus jumped out to a 6-1 lead, but the Lady Majors capitalized on some key turnovers and fouls by the Gusties to tie the game at 10 midway through the first half and remain within striking distance. With the game tied at 14 with 6:28 remaining in the half, the Gusties went on a 9-2 run over the next three minutes and closed out the half with a seven point lead.
Gustavus again struggled with their perimeter play, failing to make a shot behind the arc in the first half. The second half saw some improvement, however, with the Gusties going 5-11 from 3-point range, including two a piece from Bri Monahan and first year guard Jess Vadnais. Gustavus dominated play in the beginning of the second half, leading by as much as nine, but went through six minutes with only five points midway through the second half, failing to find a clean pass inside. The Gusties were outshot 41.7% to 39.7% in the half, but maintained their lead and controlled the clock to close out the game at 61-53.
With the win, the Gusties advance to the championship game of the McWilliams Classic, facing fifth-ranked Washington University at 3pm. Washington University defeated Whittier College on Saturday evening. The game will be broadcast through the Gustavus website.