Justine Lee and Marisa Gustafson defend Breanna Gates of Saint Ben's. (photo by Beth Kobluk, Gustavus Sports Information)
SAINT PETER, Minn. – The Gustavus women’s basketball team couldn’t recover from a slow first half Wednesday night in a 63-56 loss to Saint Benedict, dropping to 7-7 overall and 4-3 in the MIAC.
The Gusties were limited to a season-low 19 points in the first half, shooting just 26.7 percent from the floor while the Bennies shot 43.3 percent in the first 20 minutes and took a 30-19 advantage into halftime. Saint Ben’s edged the Gusties 19-16 in the third quarter and Gustavus’s fourth quarter comeback effort was too little, too late.
The Gusties finished the game shooting 34.9 percent from the floor and were just 3-for-26 from three-point range. The Bennies shot 49 percent from the field and were 6-for-18 from beyond the arc. The visitors also edged the Gusties 33-31 on the boards.
Justine Lee (Sr., Dawson, Minn.) led the home team with 16 points and four steals. Kendall Thompson (Sr., Eden Prairie, Minn.) also reached double figures with 12 points and a team-high nine rebounds.
Gustavus next travels to St. Catherine for a 1 p.m. MIAC tilt Saturday.