SAINT PETER, Minn. – The Gustavus women’s basketball team won its third straight game at home Tuesday night, defeating Buena Vista 78-49 to improve to 3-1 overall. The Gustie defense played well, forcing 33 turnovers and limiting the Beavers to 32.7 percent shooting.
After a slow start with a five-point deficit, Gustavus called for a timeout and finished the first quarter strong on a 19-7 run.
“We didn’t come out of the gates very well,” Head Coach Laurie Kelly said. “We had that early timeout to get back on track, but I give our defense a lot of credit because we did really well. You’re going to win a lot of games when you force over 30 turnovers. It was a good teaching point because when we’re not shooting the ball well, we can still extend a lead by playing great defense.”
The Gusties carried a 36-24 lead into the locker room at halftime and continued to increase their lead throughout the second half. Gustavus scored 40 points off turnovers with 21 fast break points.
Justine Lee (Sr., Dawson, Minn.) led all scorers with 21 points on 9-of-16 shooting. She also hauled in eight rebounds and made two steals. Kendall Thompson (Sr., Eden Prairie, Minn.) posted a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. She added five steals, four assists, and two blocks. Ava Gonsorowski (So., Esko, Minn.) and Paige Richert (So., Comfrey, Minn.) also reached double figures with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
“Our players’ roles are changing,” Kelly said. “Kendall and Justine have really emerged as strong leaders. Paige Richert and Maddie and Marnie Wagner are becoming more influential in what is essentially their first year playing significant minutes.”
Gustavus next travels to Luther for a 2 p.m. non-conference game Saturday.