Gustavus vs. Hamline
Date: Saturday, February 4
Time: 1 p.m.
Location: St. Peter, Minn. | Gus Young Court
Live Coverage: Stats | Video
ST. PETER, Minn. – The No. 17-ranked Gustavus Adolphus College women’s basketball team continues Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play Saturday afternoon, hosting Hamline University. The 19-1 (12-1 MIAC) Gusties are set to tip off against the 5-15 (2-11 MIAC) Pipers at 1 p.m.
GUSTAVUS WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PAGE | HAMLINE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PAGE
Last time out: Gustavus most recently suffered its first loss of the season Wednesday, falling to No. 3 University of St. Thomas by a score of 75-69 in front of a women’s basketball record-setting crowd of 2,896 fans.
In the polls: The Gusties moved up in the most recent Division III National rankings. In the D3hoops.com poll, Gustavus moved up from No. 19 to No. 17, while also moving up to No. 21 from No. 22 in the WBCA Coaches Poll.
Among the National Leaders: Out of 440 teams in NCAA Division III women’s basketball, Gustavus sits near the top in multiple statistical rankings. The 46.3 field goal percentage ranks second and the 77.4 free throw percentage ranks sixth, and the 95.0 winning percentage is tied for seventh best.
The Series: Saturday’s contest marks the 72nd all-time meeting between Gustavus and Hamline with the Gusties holding a 61-10 record over the Pipers. Last season, Gustavus earned a series sweep over Hamline, last winning by a score of 75-41 at Gus Young Court.
Scouting the Pipers: Hamline’s last win dated back to early January as the Pipers are currently on an eight-game losing streak and hold an overall record of 5-15, 2-11 MIAC. As a team, Hamline averages 60.7 points per game and ranks fourth in the MIAC with an average of 9.3 steals per game. First-year guard Chloe Graves leads the Pipers in scoring with 12.2 points per game while first-year forward Reilly Geistfeld leads on the glass with 6.7 rebounds a game.
Gustavus notables:
– The Gusties’ program record win streak came to an end at 19-0 Wednesday evening, as the Gusties fell to the No. 3 ranked University of St. Thomas for their first loss of the season.
– Wednesday’s game set a women’s basketball record setting crowd of over 2,800 fans.
– Head Coach Laurie Kelly is one win away from her 300th all-time win as a head coach. Kelly is in her 19th season as a head coach, her fifth with Gustavus.
– Mikayla Miller (Jr., Goodhue, Minn.) continues to lead the Gusties, averaging 17.7 points per game – which ranks second highest in the MIAC. Miller’s 18-point performance on Wednesday pushed her career point total to 1,212 points, passing Kelly Etzel (1999-03) on the all-time scoring list to rank at No. 7.
– Miranda Rice (Jr., Forest Lake, Minn.) ranks third behind Miller in the MIAC, averaging 16.9 points per game. Rice also ranks second in the MIAC with a 59.2 field goal percentage. Rice was selected as the Gustavus January Female Student-Athlete of the Month after posting an average of 19 points through eight games in the month.
– Gustavus ranks first in the MIAC in field goal percentage (46.3), free throw percentage (77.4), assists per game (17.7), and steals per game (12.3).