ST. PETER, Minn. – The Gustavus women’s basketball team begins Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference playoffs Tuesday at home against St. Catherine. The No. 3 seed Gusties finished the regular season 20-5 overall and 14-4 in the MIAC, while the No. 6 seed Wildcats finished 12-13 overall and 8-10 in the league.
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MIAC Playoff History: Since the initiation of the six-team MIAC Tournament in the 2000-01 season, the Gusties have qualified for the conference playoffs every year. Gustavus is making its 18th consecutive appearance in the MIAC Playoffs this season, holding a record of 10-17 in that time. No team in the MIAC has earned a trip to the league playoffs every year except for Gustavus. The Gusties have found success playing at Gus Young Court, as the Black and Gold hold a 10-2 record in home playoff games during the course of the 18-year stretch. While Gustavus has yet to claim a MIAC Playoff title, it has earned six trips to the NCAA Tournament.
The Series: Tuesday’s game marks the 59th meeting between Gustavus and St. Kate’s on the hardwood with the Gusties holding a 54-4 advantage in the all-time series. The Gusties have won the last 20 meetings, most recently defeating the Wildcats 77-66 on Saturday in St. Paul. The first quarter featured four ties and five lead changes, resulting in a slim 18-17 advantage for the Gusties. The Wildcats were able to tie the score 20-20 early in the second quarter before the Gusties finished the half with a 10-3 run and never relinquished the lead.
After a Gustie lead by as much as 19 to start the fourth quarter, St. Kate’s put together a comeback effort with 10 unanswered points early in the final frame, but the Gusties pushed back and didn’t allow the home team to come within eight points of the lead.
Gustavus shot nearly 49 percent from the floor (30-62) and out-rebounded the Wildcats 37-32. The Gusties also forced 26 turnovers and scored 35 points off the takeaway.
Mikayla Miller was two points shy of her program record 34 points in a single game, scoring 32 on 13-of-20 shooting from the floor, along with five rebounds, five assists, and six steals. Miranda Rice added 19 points and Justine Lee had 12.
Scouting the Wildcats: St. Kate’s had its three-game win streak snapped Saturday when it lost to the Gusties. Danica Cambrice has led the Wildcats all season on the offensive end of the court, averaging 19.5 points per game. She also averages 6.7 rebounds per game and leads the team with 17 blocks and 41 steals. Audra Clark and Alexis Garcia also average double figure scoring with 15.8 and 11.5 points per game, respectively. As a team, the Wildcats average 60.2 points per game and shoot 37.9 percent from the floor. Opponents score 63.7 points per game and shoot 41.2 percent.
Record Watch: Mikayla Miller currently has 1,722 career points, which trails program record holder Jess Vadnais (2004-08) by 57 points. In Saturday’s win at St. Kate’s, Miller passed Linn Erickson (1983-87) for most field goals in program history with 604. Her 304 steals are already a program record that continues to grow, and on Saturday she played her 104th career game, becoming the 12th player in program history to reach that mark.