Miranda Rice scored 27 points in the win at Macalester (photo courtesy of Ryan Coleman, d3photography.com)
ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Gustavus women’s basketball team got off to a slow start Wednesday at Macalester, leading by just five points at halftime, but made some second half adjustments to capture a 76-54 victory. Miranda Rice (Sr., Forest Lake, Minn.) was a strong presence throughout the game, scoring 16 points in the first half and finishing with 27 points on 10-of-16 shooting from the floor as the Gusties improve to 18-4 overall and 12-3 in the MIAC.
“We need to have more sense of urgency when we step on the court,” Head Coach Laurie Kelly said. “We got through the first half on Miranda’s shoulders. They gave us wide open shots in zone defense and we didn’t knock them down. But we played looser in the second half and the rim seems to look bigger after you make a couple shots. We got into a rhythm, were strong on the glass, and forced turnovers.”
The first quarter featured seven lead changes with the Gusties holding an 18-14 advantage after 10 minutes. Gustavus maintained a three-to-eight-point lead throughout the second quarter and took a five-point advantage into the locker room.
Macalester got within two points early in the third quarter, but the visitors found their stride and went on a 17-4 run to finish the quarter, capped by three consecutive three-pointers by Justine Lee (Jr., Dawson, Minn.). The Black and Gold added to its lead in the fourth quarter, leading by as much as 25 points to secure the win.
Mikayla Miller (Sr., Goodhue, Minn.) was second in scoring for the Gusties with 21 points, including five treys. Lee finished with 11 points and a team-high six assists. Gustavus out-rebounded the Scots 39-28 and shot 37.7 percent from the floor. Turnovers were key for the Gusties as they forced 21 and scored 32 points off the takeaway.
“Come Saturday we need to play four quarters,” Kelly said. Every game is a playoff game now, so this is what we play for and it should be an interesting weekend to see how things shake out.”
Gustavus hosts Bethel at 3 p.m. Saturday on its Senior Day.