SAINT PETER, Minn. – A 19 point deficit was too much to overcome as the Gustavus women’s basketball team fell to Saint Ben’s 64-53 Wednesday night. With the loss, the Gusties are now 14-4 overall and 10-3 in the MIAC while the Bennies improve to 9-9 overall and 5-8 in the league.
“We just did not come out ready to play,” said Head Coach Laurie Kelly. “Our will and effort weren’t there tonight. Unforced turnovers were costly, we did not shoot well, but more than anything defensively we did not play well.”
A slow start and a multitude of turnovers plagued the Gusties early, as Saint Ben’s jumped out to a 13-2 lead through the opening five minutes of play. The Gusties were able to climb back thanks to three three-point baskets from Maddy Rice (Fy., Forest Lake) and trail by just four at the end of the first quarter.
In the second, Gustavus got it within one point at the 6:47 mark after a Caitlin Rorman (Fy., Blue Earth) three. The Bennies would answer with a three of their own before both teams exchanged buckets throughout the remainder of the half. Saint Ben’s took a 36-29 lead in to the locker room, thanks to 15 Gustie turnovers and 22 points in the paint.
“The fifteen turnovers at the half are way too many,” said Kelly. “We were giving away too many opportunities and even at home it’s a lot to overcome.”
The Bennies started the second half with another big run, scoring the first 11 points to build a 47-29 lead at the 6:06 mark. Saint Ben’s would lead by as much as 19 in the third before the Gusties went on an 11-3 run and held the Bennies to three points in the final five minutes to trail 53-42 at the end of the quarter.
Despite the Bennies only scoring two points through the first seven minutes of the fourth, the Gusties still found themselves down two with three minutes to go. Saint Ben’s would close the game on a 9-0 run to secure the 64-53 victory, handing Gustavus their first home loss of the season.
The Gusties shot a season low 21.2 percent from the floor in the second half and ended up at 31.5 percent for the game, while the Bennies were 46 percent from the floor. Gustavus was led by Rorman with 18 points to go along with six rebounds. Rice was also in double figures with 13 points.
“A lot of credit to Saint Ben’s,” added Kelly. “They really came to play from the start. We were just always trying to catch up.”
Gustavus continues their homestand when they host St. Thomas Saturday at 3 p.m.