Rachel Kawiecki (photo courtesy of David Faulkner, SPX Sports)
MOORHEAD, Minn. – Leading by just one point heading into the fourth quarter Wednesday night, the Gustavus women’s basketball team outscored Concordia 20-7 in the final 10 minutes to secure a 65-51 victory. The Gusties improve to 16-4 overall and 14-3 in the MIAC, while the Cobbers drop to 7-12 overall and 7-10 in the league.
Concordia took a 17-9 lead to start the game before Emma Kniefel (So., Medford) answered with six straight points for the Gusties, making it a two-point deficit at the end of the first. Rachel Kawiecki (Fy., Richfield) made consecutive layups three minutes into the second, giving the Gusties a 21-20 lead and forcing a Cobber timeout. The lead traded sides four times over the next six minutes until a Kylie Baranick (Fy., Maple Grove) three-pointer gave the Gusties a 31-29 advantage with 1:11 left in the half. Gustavus took a 33-29 lead into the break.
The Cobbers played tough in the third, coming as close as one point from tying the game, but Gusties were able to hold on for a slim 45-44 lead going into the fourth frame. The Gusties scored the first five points of the fourth, forcing a Cobber timeout. Gustavus continued to pull away after the timeout, eventually expanding to a double-digit lead and closing the game strong for its third consecutive win.
“This is a tough trip to come up here and they are a great team at home,” Head Coach Laurie Kelly said of the Cobbers. “We knew it would be a battle, but we made some defensive adjustments in the second half that worked out. Allowing 51 points on the road is really good for us and it feels great to win in a tough environment. I thought rebounding, especially in the first half was key for us. And playing good defense takes the pressure off the offense.”
Baranick led the offense with 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting, including a pair of threes. Kniefel had 13 points, also shooting 5-of-8, while adding three rebounds and a pair of assists. Morgan Kelly (Fy., Saint Peter) added 11 points off the bench and five rebounds. Grace Benz (Sr., Steele, N.D.) was strong in the post with a game-high 11 rebounds.
The Gusties outshot the Cobbers 46.2-34.5 percent from the floor. The Cobbers were forced to shoot from long range and were limited to 16.7 percent (4-24) from beyond the arc. The Gusties also out-rebounded the home team 33-28.
Gustavus next hosts St. Scholastica at 1 p.m. Saturday.