After defeating Bethel University 67-63 in the quarterfinal round of the MIAC Playoffs on Tuesday night in St. Peter, Minn., the Gustavus women’s basketball team is set to take on #1 seed St. Thomas in the semifinals Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. in St. Paul. The Tommies received a first round bye after winning the MIAC Regular Season Championship, going 19-6 overall and 18-4 in the MIAC. Gustavus enters the game with a record of 17-9.
St. Thomas will be making its tenth consecutive appearance in the MIAC Post-Season Tournament, while Gustavus has made the playoffs 11 straight seasons. Gustavus is 7-10 in its previous 10 trips to the MIAC Tournament, while St. Thomas, winners of the 2010 MIAC Playoff crown, is 6-8 its previous nine appearances.
The Gustavus women’s basketball team will be looking for redemption tonight in St. Paul, having lost to the Tommies last season 63-60 on Gus Young court in the semifinal round. St. Thomas swept the regular season series this year, defeating Gustavus 66-61 in St. Paul, and 65-58 in St. Peter.
The Gusties enter Thursday night’s bout averaging 68.3 points per game on offense, while giving up an average of 64.0 points per game on defense. St. Thomas is scoring an average of 67.4 points per game, while allowing 57.6.
Gustavus play-by-play broadcaster Tom Wheeler of KNUJ Radio in New Ulm will be in Schoenecker Arena on the campus of the University of St. Thomas for tonight’s call. Fans can access the live audio through the Gustavus Athletics website and the link below.
http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/gac.portal
Gustavus has won 12 of its last 14 games…Molly Mathiowetz needs just four steals to hit 200 for her career…Molly Geske is shooting .589 from the field and averaging 17 points per game in the last three games…The Gustavus bench scored a combined 26 points on Tuesday against Bethel…Colleen Ruane ranks first in the MIAC in steals with 69 (2.65 Avg/G)…Abby Rothenbuehler has come off the bench to score in double-figures in five straight games.