Box Score MOUNT VERNON, Iowa (csssaints.com) – Making its first NCAA Division III Tournament appearance, the St. Scholastica women's basketball team was defeated by a stout Cornell College (Iowa) squad 76-54 on Friday night in the first round of the national tournament.

12th-ranked Cornell was also making its first NCAA Tournament appearance and was regular season and tournament champions of the Midwest Conference.

The Saints were out front early by three points on multiple occasions. Cornell held a 16-15 lead midway through the first half and then went on a 7-0 run extend the lead to eight. CSS kept the margin around eight thanks to great 3-point shooting, including Mariah Hovick (Prior Lake, Minn./Prior Lake HS) long 3-pointer to end the first half to make it 37-29.

St. Scholastica made six, 3-pointers in the half, but shot only 29 percent from the floor. The Rams shot 39 percent from the field and outscored the Saints 16-6 in the paint. Hovick and Danica Schellbach (Rush City, Minn./Rush City HS) had nine points each to lead CSS in the first half.

Cornell jumped out to a 13-point lead early in the second half and the margin remained in the teens for most of the half. The Rams had a couple of buckets in the final 30 seconds to make the final score 76-54.

The Saints were only 26 percent in the second half to finish at 28 percent for the game. The Rams shot 43 percent in the second half to finish at 41 percent for the game. Cornell out-rebounded the Saints 58-30 and had a 38-12 scoring advantage in the paint, including 22-6 in the second half.

Schellbach led the Saints with 19 points and seven rebounds. Hovick had 17 points, four assists and four rebounds. Elena Huber (Northfield, Minn./Northfield HS) added nine points. Rikki Mulloy led the Rams with 19 points. 

The Saints (13-15) will say goodbye to just one senior in Haley Hoyer (Pelican Rapids, Minn./Pelican Rapids HS (North Dakota State College of Science)). The Rams (25-1) move on to the second round where they will face the University of St. Thomas. The Tommies defeated Calvin College (Mich.) 64-62 in the first matchup this evening.

For future information on the St. Scholastica women's basketball program, keep checking csssaints.com.