Rachel Skyberg. (photo courtesy of Ryan Coleman, d3photography.com)
ST. PETER, Minn. – The Gustavus women’s basketball team travels to Macalester College tonight for a 7 p.m. tipoff. The Gusties are looking for their fourth-straight victory as they enter the contest 17-4 overall and 11-3 in the MIAC. The Scots are 8-13 overall and 4-10 in the league.
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The Series: Tonight’s game marks the 74th meeting between Gustavus and Macalester with the Gusties holding a 61-12 advantage in the all-time series. The Gusties have won the last six meetings with the Scots’ last victory on Jan. 6, 2014. In their last meeting on Jan. 21 last year, the Gusties broke triple digits with a 103-70 win at Gus Young Court. The Gusties set a season-high with 103 points and tied a season-high with 38 field goals made, going 38-for-67 from the field (56.7%). From three-point range, Gustavus shot a season-best 71.4 percent mark, going 10-for-14 from beyond the arc.
Four Gusties tallied double-digit points with Miranda Rice leading the way with 26 points. Along with Rice, Mikayla Miller added 17, Hannah Howard totaled 16, and Justine Lee compiled 14 as she was a perfect 6-6 from the field and 2-2 from three-point range. Down low, Gustavus outplayed Macalester as it outscored the Scots in points in the paint by a mark of 54-28. The Gusties also capitalized on Macalester mistakes, outscoring the Scots in points off turnovers, 36-11.
Last time out: The Gustavus women’s basketball team continued its offensive prowess Saturday at Hamline, winning in convincing fashion 89-47 to clinch a spot in the MIAC playoffs. The Gusties shot 55 percent from beyond the three-point line and controlled the glass, out-rebounding the Pipers 44-20. Gustavus made the first five three-point shots it took in the first quarter to establish a 29-12 lead after 10 minutes. Hamline pushed back to get the score to a 10-point difference midway through the second quarter, but the Gusties went on a 13-2 run to close out the half and led 45-24 at the break. The visitors continued to add to their lead in the second half as 15 players saw time on the court.
Mikayla Miller led all scorers with 14 points on 4-of-9 shooting from the floor, including 4-of-5 from the free throw line. Justine Lee and Kendall Thompson also reached double figures with 13 and 11 points, respectively. Miranda Rice led the team on the glass with eight rebounds. As a team, the Gusties shot 49.2 percent from the floor and sunk 11 three-pointers, marking the third-straight game with at least 10 treys made. Gustavus forced 23 turnovers, which generated 28 points.
Scouting the Scots: After losing back-to-back games, Macalester is coming off a 67-59 win at Carleton on Saturday. Regan Fruh led the Scots with 24 points and 12 rebounds. Fruh has led the Scots all season long, averaging 14.7 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. As a team, the Scots average 58.3 points per game and shoot 36.4 percent from the field. They hold opponents to 38.3 percent shooting, which ranks third in the MIAC. They’re also the second best blocking team in the conference with 5.2 blocks per game.