Gustavus 75, Hamline 41 (Box) | Photo Gallery
ST. PETER, Minn. – The Gustavus Adolphus College women’s basketball team earned its second consecutive 30-point win on Saturday afternoon with a 75-41 victory over Hamline University at Gus Young Court. The win clinches the Gusties a home playoff game and they improve to 17-6 overall and 12-4 in the MIAC. The Pipers fall to 3-20 overall and 1-15 in the league.
“After giving up more than 70 points to Hamline the first time around, we felt had something to prove on the defensive side of the ball this afternoon,” said Coach Laurie Kelly. “They have quality players that have the ability to put up some big numbers, and we wanted to prove to ourselves that we could stop those types of players as we prepare to go into playoffs. Anytime we have the opportunity to play against other people, it’s an opportunity you can’t take for granted this late in the season. Our goal was to stay focused on each possession as though it were a playoff game. We still have two more games to go though, including a tough one against Saint Benedict, so we’re really trying to stay focused down the stretch because we feel fortunate to have clinched a playoff spot and want to be ready when that time comes.”
Gustavus didn’t take long to jump out to a double-digit lead, as it took its first at 12-2 just 3:02 into the game. The Gusties built that advantage to 18-2 and went into the first intermission up 22-9. The second quarter was much the same, with Gustavus adding to its already convincing lead to go up 21 with 3:50 to play in the half. The Gusties maintained that margin for the remainder and went into halftime up 42-21.
As was the case in Wednesday’s game against St. Olaf, the Gusties showed no interest in letting momentum slide in the second half, and saw their lead climb to 30 just 3:50 into the third quarter. Gustavus played several of its key bench players for a majority of the half against the Hamline starters, and those players kept the Gustie lead around the 30-point mark for the rest of the game, including the insertion of five fresh players with two and a half minutes to play. As a whole, all 18 players took the floor for Gustavus for the second consecutive game, and 12 of those players scored. As a unit, the Gustie bench tallied 38 points compared to Hamline’s 9.
“It was great to have the opportunity to utilize our depth again today,” said Kelly. “If we’re to get in foul trouble in a closer game down the stretch, I have a lot of confidence in the individuals off the bench because of the minutes they’ve gotten. They’re so much more confident now compared to the beginning of the season and it’s great to be able to look down our bench when we’re in a particular situation and call on someone. The versatility that our team has allows us to match up and do some different things against different opponents. We’ve also been fortunate, with the exception to Lindsey, to be healthy this year, but if something were to happen, it’s comforting to know we have the depth we do.”
Gustavus controlled the rebounding category by a 46-23 margin, with 15 of those boards coming on the offensive end, adding to its MIAC-leading average of 14.5 offensive rebounds per game. The Black and Gold shot 49.2 percent (31-of-63), with 50 of its 75 points coming in the paint. Mikayla Miller (So., Goodhue, Minn.) led all scorers with 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting, while posts Miranda Rice (So., Forest Lake, Minn.) and Steph Klockmann (So., Brownton, Minn.) each added 10. Senior Anna Lundquist (Rochester, Minn.) was next in line, scoring a season high nine points on 4-of-6 shooting.
The Gusties will look to avenge their overtime loss earlier this season to the College of Saint Benedict this coming Wednesday in a 7 p.m. contest in Saint Joseph, Minn.