Justine Lee scored 10 points in Saturday's regular season finale vs. Carleton. (Photo courtesy of AJ Dahm, SPX Sports)
Gustavus 72, Carleton 49 (Box) | Photo Gallery
ST. PETER, Minn. – The Gustavus Adolphus College women’s basketball team wrapped up its regular season in style on Saturday, coming away with a 72-49 victory over Carleton College at Gus Young Court. With the win, the Gusties finish tied for second place with Saint Mary’s in the MIAC standings with a 14-4 conference record, while the Knights fall to 1-17 in the league.
“It was a nice win today,” said Coach Laurie Kelly. “It’s always great to be able to wrap up your regular season and send your seniors out with a ‘W.’ It’s a great way to build momentum heading into postseason play.”
Steph Klockmann (So., Brownton, Minn.) and Mikayla Miller (So., Goodhue, Minn.) led the Gusties with 14 points apiece, with Klockmann going a perfect 7-of-7 from the floor and Miller shooting 5-for-11. Miller also added five rebounds, which tied for the team lead with Anna Lundquist (Sr., Rochester, Minn.).
Gustavus ran to a 9-0 lead to begin the game and concluded the first quarter up 20-6. From there, the Black and Gold continued to pour it on, eventually taking a 20-point 39-19 lead into halftime.
Carleton was able to hold steady for much of the third quarter, but the Gusties were still able to add to their advantage and went into the final quarter up 26 at 58-32. In the fourth quarter, Gustavus cleared its bench for the sixth time this season and extended its lead to as many as 30 at the 2:53 mark, before eventually coming away with the 23-point win. Eleven different Gusties scored over the course of the game.
Gustavus shot 45.2 percent as a team and out-rebounded the Knights 47-19. As usual, the Gustie bench was strong, scoring 43 of the team’s 72 points. Gustavus also outscored Carleton 44-16 in the paint.
As is tradition Gustavus, the final home game of the regular season was designated as Senior Day and a special tribute was made to the individuals who dedicated themselves to the Gustavus women’s basketball program. This year, the athletics department, the women’s basketball coaching staff, parents, and fans saluted the two student-athletes who have represented the women’s basketball team with pride and class. Seniors honored today for their commitment included Lindsey Johnson of Edina, Minn. and Lundquist of Rochester, Minn.
“Lindsey and Anna have been such an important part of our team both on and off the floor,” said Kelly. “The leadership they have provided and the efforts they’ve made to keep our team chemistry at a maximum have been fantastic and we’re really going to miss them.”
The Gusties now enter postseason play as the No. 3 seed in the MIAC Playoffs. With Saint Benedict’s win over Augsburg Saturday, the Gusties will face the Blazers for the second time in less than a week this Tuesday at Gus Young Court, with tipoff set for 7 p.m. In the two team’s first game this season, Saint Benedict earned a 70-61 overtime win over the Gusties, but the Black and Gold avenged that loss this past Wednesday with a narrow 52-51 victory in Saint Joseph, Minn.
“With the postseason coming, we have to play 40 minutes every time we hit the floor and each possession becomes a little bit more important,” concluded Kelly. “We feel really proud that we were able to battle, come away with a tie for second in the MIAC, and clinch a home game. Now, we hope to get a lot of fans on Tuesday, have it be a great Gustie environment, and show them that we belong. “
WooooHoooo. Way to Go Gusties. Great finish to the regular season. It is now time that “Gusties Will Shine.” Let’s pack the place on Tuesday. Thank you Anna and Lindsey. You have been a shining example of commitment to this program for 4 years. Let’s send these two seniors out with some hardware. Let’s Do This…..