Gustavus at Saint Benedict
Date: Saturday, February 11
Time: 3 p.m.
Location: St. Joseph, Minn, Minn. | Claire Lynch Hall
Live Coverage: Stats/Video
ST. PETER, Minn. – The No. 16/21-ranked Gustavus Adolphus College women’s basketball team is set for a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference matchup at the College of Saint Benedict Saturday afternoon. The 21-1 (14-1 MIAC) Gusties are set to tip off against the 13-9 (9-6 MIAC) Blazers at 3 p.m.
GUSTAVUS WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PAGE | SAINT BENEDICT WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PAGE
Last time out: Gustavus most recently defeated St. Olaf Wednesday evening 81-47, backed by a career-high 31-point performance from Kelsey Carpenter (Sr., St. Peter, Minn.), who tied a program record eight three-point field goals.
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. 17 to No. 16, while remaining at No. 21 in the WBCA Coaches Poll. In the first regional rankings of the season, the Gusties rank No. 3 in the West.
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 46.6 field goal percentage ranks second, the 78.1 free throw percentage ranks fifth, and the 95.2 winning percentage is tied for 10th best.
The Series: Saturday’s contest marks the 73rd all-time meeting between Gustavus and Saint Benedict with the Blazers holding a 47-25 record over the Gusties. The teams previously met Jan. 7 at Gus Young Court with Gustavus prevailing by a score of 71-50.
Scouting the Blazers: Saint Benedict is currently on a two-game losing streak, most recently falling at Augsburg College Wednesday evening by a score of 64-55. The Blazers allow 56.4 points per game to its opponents, which ranks third best in the MIAC. Junior forward Chelsey Guetter leads Saint Ben’s with an average of 10.0 points per game along with 7.8 rebounds a game.
Gustavus notables:
– Mikayla Miller (Jr., Goodhue, Minn.) continues to lead the Gusties, averaging 17.3 points per game – which ranks second highest in the MIAC. Miller leads the league with an 86.0 free throw percentage and 3.3 steals per game.
– On Wednesday at St. Olaf, Miller picked up two steals to pass Jess Vadnais (2004-08) on the program’s all-time steals list. Miller is now No. 1 with 224 career steals in her third season as a Gustie.
– Kelsey Carpenter tallied a career-high 31 points at St. Olaf and also tied a program record eight three-point field goals made, going 8-for-10. The 31-point performance ranks tied for fourth best in program history as well as her .846 shooting percentage.
– 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 59.8 field goal percentage.
– Gustavus ranks first in the MIAC in points per game (76.5), field goal percentage (46.9), free throw percentage (78.4), assists per game (18.3), and steals per game (12.5).