Rachel Kawiecki makes a layup against Saint Mary's (photo courtesy of David Faulkner, SPX Sports)
SAINT PETER, Minn. – The Gustavus women’s basketball team scored a season high in points Wednesday evening, defeating Saint Mary’s 81-49 at Gus Young Court, improving to 8-2 overall and 6-1 in the MIAC. The Gusties shot 45.3 percent from the field with 13 different players scoring.
“We’re really coming together right now as a team and we’re a lot more confident with the way we’re shooting the ball,” Head Coach Laurie Kelly said.
Saint Mary’s started the game with a 9-5 lead before the Gusties closed out the first quarter on a 20-3 run. The second quarter proved to be more back-and-forth with the Gusties carrying a 36-21 lead into halftime.
The third quarter saw the Cardinals cut the deficit to 13 points, but the Gusties did not let the visitors get any closer. The fourth quarter was all Gustavus as it outscored the Cardinals 24-10 in the final 10 minutes as Coach Kelly was able to clear her bench. The Gustie bench outscored the Cardinal bench 36-12. The Gusties were also efficient down low, outscoring the Cardinals 30-8 in the paint. Ball security was another key for the Gustie win as they posted a 15:7 assist-to-turnover ratio.
“We had different people stepping up tonight so I think the depth that we have right now has been our strength and the fact that when somebody is not having a great game, other people step up,” Kelly said. “We’re taking care of the ball, we’re playing good team basketball, and we’re playing with a lot of confidence.”
Anna Sanders (Jr., Vadnais Heights) led the offense with 17 points with three three-pointers. She also had a team-high three steals. Syd Hauger (So., Springfield) added 15 points off the bench, while Kylie Baranick (Fy., Maple Grove) also reached double figures with 11 points.
Gustavus next hosts Hamline at 1 p.m. Saturday.