Women’s Hoops Hosts St. Thomas In Battle Of Nationally Ranked Teams Posted on December 12th, 2017 by

ST. PETER, Minn. – The Gustavus women’s basketball team hosts St. Thomas at 7 p.m. Wednesday in a high-profile game that pits the 12th ranked team in the nation against the 11th, respectively. The undefeated Gusties are 7-0 overall and 3-0 in the MIAC, while the Tommies are 6-1 overall and 2-0 in the league.

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The Series: Wednesday’s game marks the 81st meeting between Gustavus and St. Thomas with the Tommies holding a 57-23 advantage in the all-time series. St. Thomas is riding an 18-game winning streak in the series with the last Gustie win on Feb. 17, 2010 (66-56).

The Gusties and Tommies last faced each other on Feb. 26 in the 2017 MIAC Championship game as the Tommies won 66-49. St. Thomas jumped out to a 30-16 lead after the first quarter before the Gusties climbed back with a 14-9 advantage in the second frame to trail 39-30 at half. Both teams scored 11 points each in the third quarter, but the Tommies pulled away in the fourth with a 16-8 advantage to claim the 17-point decision and automatic berth to the NCAA Championships. Miranda Rice led the Gusties with 11 points. Kaitlin Langer (now graduated) scored 29 points for the winners, while Lucia Renikoff added 13.

Point Milestones: After scoring 18 points Saturday against Hamline, Miranda Rice became the 12th Gustavus women’s basketball player to reach the 1,000-point mark in her career. Rice joined teammate Mikayla Miller on the 1K list, who currently has 1,408 points and is in need of three points to surpass Molly Geske (2008-12) for third place on the Gustavus all-time scoring list.

500 in the MIAC: After defeating Hamline 82-50 on Saturday, Gustavus women’s basketball recorded its 500th all-time win in Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play. Since joining the league in 1981, the Gusties are 500-265 in league play and have claimed two conference championships.

Scouting the Tommies: After finishing last season at the NCAA Final Four, the Tommies are off to a 6-1 start with their lone loss coming against No. 14-ranked Bowdoin, 80-68, on Nov. 18. St. Thomas has since won five-straight games, most recently topping St. Catherine 79-46 on Saturday. After seven games, Hannah Spaulding leads the team with 18.0 points and 9.0 rebounds per games. The 2017 MIAC Sixth Player of the Year is a 65.8 percent shooter from the field and has 17 blocks. Lucia Renikoff also average double figures with 15.3 points per game and has a team-high 19 assists. The Tommies are the top three-point shooting team in the MIAC, making 40.7 percent of their shots from beyond the arc.

 

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