Mikayla Miller drives past a St. Kate's defender. (Photo courtesy of AJ Dahm, SPX Sports)
ST. PETER, Minn. – The No. 22/25 Gustavus women’s basketball team defeated St. Catherine University by a score of 83-76 Wednesday evening at Gus Young Court to remain undefeated, improving to 16-0 overall and 9-0 in MIAC action.
Gustavus was led by four players in double-figure scoring numbers, with Mikayla Miller (Jr., Goodhue, Minn.) compiling 22 points to lead the home team. Matching her performance from the previous game, Miller brought in a season-best nine rebounds and tied a season-high 35 minutes played. Justine Lee (So., Dawson, Minn.) scored a career-high 18 points and 37 minutes played as she shot 7-10 from the field and 3-5 from beyond the arc. Miranda Rice (Jr., Forest Lake, Minn.) added 18 points and was an efficient shooter, going 9-11 from the field. Taylor Anderson (So., Rogers, Minn.) also tallied 10 points.
Justine Lee goes up for a layup. (AJ Dahm photo)
The first 20 minutes proved to be a highly contested match as there were seven lead changes. For just the second time this season, the Gusties trailed at halftime as the visitors led 41-39. St. Catherine shot 53.1 percent from the field in the first half while Gustavus posted a field goal mark of 46.9 percent.
In the second half, Gustavus improved its shooting to 55.9 percent and outscored the Wildcats in the final two quarters. The Gusties were able to create some breathing room near the end of the third when Emee Udo (Jr., Apple Valley, Minn.) nailed a jumper to give the home team a 10-point lead at the 2:49 minute mark. St. Kate’s pushed back in the final frame, cutting the lead down to three but Gustavus would hold on for the win.
“I thought we came out much better in the second half,” said Head Coach Laurie Kelly. “Our third quarter was better for us but we still struggled defensively to get stops.”
Despite allowing a season-high 76 points to the Wildcats, the Gusties found a way to win. Play was even down low with a slight lead for the home team in points in the paint, 44-42. Gustavus outrebounded St. Kate’s by a mark of 39-30.
“Sometimes when you can learn a lesson and still win, that’s a really positive thing,” Kelly commented. “We didn’t come ready to defend and they really exposed that. We feel fortunate that we made enough plays to get the win, but at the same time realize there are things we need to get better at. We’ll see if that parlays into some adjustments going into Saturday’s game.”
The Black and Gold continue its home slate this Saturday, hosting Macalester College at Gus Young Court. Tip off is scheduled for 1 p.m. against the Scots.