The Gustavus women’s basketball team extended their winning streak to four games with a 72-45 win over Macalester in St. Paul on Wednesday night. Coach Mickey Haller’s squad held the Scots to their lowest point total of the season as the Gusties forced Macalester to shoot a dismal 19% from the floor on 5-27 shooting in the second half. The Gustavus offense found its rhythm in the first half with a 58% field goal percentage to jump out to a 40-28 lead.
The game appeared to be a repeat of the first contest between the teams as the score was tied six times in the first ten minutes. Macalester maintained a 21-19 lead before the Gustavus defense stepped up the pressure. The Gusties forced the Scots to commit five turnovers during a 19-2 Gustavus run where six different players scored for a 38-23 lead with 1:59 left in the half. Trina PaStarr hit a lay-up to close out the period as Macalester cut the deficit to 40-28 at intermission. Gustavus hit 18-31 shots for 58%, while the Scots hit 13-26 for 50% despite committing 14 turnovers.
Ann Baltzer completed a three-point play in the first Scot possession of the second half to bring Macalester to within ten points at 41-31. However, that was as close as the Scots would get in the remainder of the contest. Gustavus clamped down on the Macalester shooters while putting together offensive runs that built a 61-40 lead with 8:42 left in the game. The Gusties continued to play well as they saw the lead balloon to 29 points with a minute to play before closing out the game 72-45.
Jess Vadnais (Sr., Hudson, Wis.) paced Gustavus with 18 points, including 6-7 from the free throw line, three assists and three steals. Vadnais was joined in double-digits by Julia Schultz (So., Marshall, Minn.) and Molly Mathiowetz (Fy., Sleepy Eye, Minn.). Schultz tied a career-high with 14 points on 7-10 shooting and hauled down eight rebounds. Mathiowetz compiled 11 points, four rebounds, and three steals. Macalester was led by Trina PaStarr with 18 points and nine rebounds followed by Ann Baltzer with 10 points and five rebounds.
Gustavus, which improved to 9-6 overall and 8-4 in the MIAC, will look to avenge an early season loss to Augsburg in St. Peter on Saturday at 1 p.m. Macalester, which fell to 5-10 overall and 4-8 in league play, will face St. Catherine in St. Paul at 3 p.m.