The Gustavus women’s basketball team survived early foul trouble by post players Erin Boese (Jr., Rochester, Minn.) and Bri Monahan (Jr., Hutchinson, Minn.) and held off a late rally by St. Catherine to win 72-68 Monday night in St. Peter.
Gustavus led virtually from start to finish as Boese scored the Gusties’ first seven points to take a 7-2 lead. St. Kate’s remained close throughout the first half, tying the contest on three occasions midway through the period. A jumper by senior guard Sara Boldt (Faribault, Minn.), however, gave Gustavus a lead at 25-24 which they would not relinquish. Both teams played even in the paint during the first half, but the Gusties picked up 14 points off 11 Wildcat turnovers and led 39-35 at intermission.
The Gusties pushed the lead to ten points on four different occasions during the seven minutes of the second half, but the Wildcats continued to fight back. A jumper by Boese with 4:28 remaining pushed the Gustavus lead to a game-high 11 points at 70-59, but St. Kate’s mounted one final charge. The Wildcats outscored the Gusties 9-2 over the final 4:28, but could not come up with the victory.
Boese finished with a team-high 15 points and four steals on 6-of-9 shooting, including 3-of-3 from behind the arc. Monahan was held well below her season averages with 14 points and three rebounds. Jess Vadnais (Hudson, Wis.) added 12 points and team-highs with five rebounds and five assists. Boldt chipped in with nine points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals. Vicky Peterson (Plymouth, Minn.) picked up six points, four rebounds and four assists in 23 minutes of play. Peterson was pressed into action off the bench after Boese and Monahan found themselves in early foul trouble.
The Wildcats had four players in double figures, led by Erin Petrich with a game-high 16 points. Jenna Martin added 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting and pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds.
St. Kate’s finished the game with a 38-31 advantage on the the glass and outshot the Gusties from the field, 48.2 percent to 42.9 percent. Gustavus helped its own cause, though, by shooting 62.5 percent (10-16) from behind the three-point line and 70 percent (14-20) from the charity stripe.
The Gusties move to 4-2 overall, 2-1 in the MIAC with the win. The Wildcats fall to 2-3 overall, 1-2 in the league. Gustavus will host St. Thomas on Wednesday evening.