SAINT PETER, Minn. – No. 25 Gustavus women’s basketball led from the onset Saturday afternoon against Concordia and never trailed in a decisive 88-57 win. The Gusties improve to 8-1 overall and 5-0 in the MIAC, while the Cobbers drop to 4-6 overall and 2-3 in the league.
The Gustavus offense was on display, shooting 52.7 percent from the floor with 15 made three-pointers. The defensive effort was no slouch either as the Gusties forced 29 Cobber turnovers and had 19 steals. The Gusties scored 44 points off turnovers.
“It was great to be back at home,” Head Coach Laurie Kelly said. “We’ve been road warriors for a while, travelling out to the west coast and around the conference. This was a great way to wrap up the semester before we have finals.”
Ava Gonsorowski (Jr., Esko) had the hot hand for the Gusties, scoring a game-high 23 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the floor with five three-pointers. Caitlin Rorman (Fy., Blue Earth) and Maddy Rice (Fy., Forest Lake) also had productive offensive efforts with 18 and 17 points, respectively. Rice was dangerous from deep, shooting 5-for-8 from beyond the arc.
“We did a lot of good things today,” Kelly said. “We scored well and shot the ball well from behind the three-point line. There are always things that we need to get better at but it feels good to get this win.”
Gustavus jumped out to a 9-0 lead in the first 2:18 and continued to add to its lead throughout the game, owning a 26-12 advantage after the first quarter and a 46-28 lead at halftime. The Gusties outscored the Cobbers 18-10 in the third quarter and 24-19 in the fourth as both teams were able to clear their benches for playing time.
“It’s always fun when you can play your whole team,” Kelly said. “They get more excited for the players off the bench than those that start. We’re such a close team. The unique thing about this team is the balanced scoring in the sense that some games somebody is good and sometimes somebody else is better. We can score inside and out. They are willing to make an extra pass to get a better shot and our young players are really buying in to what Gustavus basketball is all about.”
Gustavus now takes time off for finals and the holidays before returning to Gus Young Court on Dec. 30 against UW-River Falls.