Box Score ST. JOSEPH, Minn. (csssaints.com) – The St. Scholastica women's basketball team fell in a back-and-forth battle in its season opener to Macalester College 57-53 Friday night at Claire Lynch Hall on the campus of the College of Saint Benedict.
The Saints opened up the game on a 12-7 run after
Kelsey Sorenson-Giffrow (Braham, Minn./Braham HS (Minn. Duluth)) hit a 3-pointer for the Saints. Macalester fought back to take the lead 19-18 at the 7:22 mark after Emma Leyden hit a lay-up with the foul.
Erin Frase (Phillips, Wis./Phillips HS (UW-River Falls)) would respond on the ensuing possession for CSS as she hit her own lay-up plus the foul to regain the lead for the Saints. The teams entered the half knotted up 29-29.
Macalester opened up the second half on a 9-4 run to take the lead 38-33. The Saints tied the score at the 11:19 mark with a pair of free throws from Frase. With 3:31 left in the contest, The Scots would take the lead again as Leyden hit a jumper from the right wing.
CSS retook the lead with 2:19 left on a
Danica Schellbach (Rush City, Minn./Rush City HS) jump shot. Macalester went up for good with 1:27 left on a Taylor Pike jumper from the left wing. CSS cut the lead to two points the following possession, but a pair of free throws from the Scots would seal the victory as the Saints fell 57-53.
The Scots (1-0) finished shooting 33-percent from the floor, 20-percent from beyond the arc, and 72-percent from the free throw line. Macalester had a 42-38 rebounding advantage, but did commit 20 turnovers on the night.
CSS was led by Frase, who fouled out with 14 points and three rebounds.
Mariah Hovick (Prior Lake, Minn./Prior Lake HS) added 10 points and five rebounds, while Schellbach added eight points and six rebounds.
The Saints would finish the game shooting just 29-percent from the floor, 10-percent from beyond the arc, but did shoot a modest 78-percent from the charity stripe. CSS had 19 turnovers and just seven assists.
The Saints will be back in action tomorrow as they face the tournament host Saint Benedict at 3 p.m. Tune into csssaints.com for updates from this game.
