Notables
- Brannan had a career-high on the night, leading the team in scoring with 17 points, including seven in the fourth quarter
- Dubuque out-scored the Saints 27-17 in the fourth quarter
- Freshman Michala Walther (Roseville, Minn./Concordia Academy) recorded a team-high five blocks, as well as a team-high 36 minutes
- The Saints' victory marks their first season opener win since the 2009-10 season
DULUTH, Minn. (csssaints.com) – The St. Scholastica women's basketball team started its season off on the right foot Friday night, defeating the University of Dubuque at the Reif Gymnasium by a score of 71-69.
First Half
The Saints started the game off strong, slowly building their lead in the first quarter until they found themselves up 20-11 at the end of the first period. The Saints were down 7-6 in the early going, but started to find the bottom of the net thanks to key layups from freshman Mariah Pearson (Blaine, Minn./Blaine HS) and senior Brittani Brennan (Ashland, Wis./Ashland HS), which was part of a 13-4 run for St. Scholastica.
Brennan opened the second quarter the same way she ended the first, on fire. After the opening 20 seconds of play in the second, Brennan hit a three-pointer to put the Saints up 23-11. Jessie Kirkwood of Dubuque started to find her stride as well, coming up with a three of her own to answer, as well as a steal on the defensive side of the ball. Freshman Danielle Cieluch (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East HS) poured in six points of her own in the second, which helped the Saints add to their lead and take a 41-28 lead into halftime.
Second Half
Dubuque came out of the break strong, scoring the first seven points of the second half, most of it coming from Kara Enos, who finished with 11 points in the game. The Saints decided to call a timeout and regroup, and it helped tremendously. Holly VanKempen (Elbow Lake, Minn./West Central HS) made a nice move in the paint and put in a layup to stop the Dubuque 7-0 run. After the VanKempen's layup, both teams started to hit a lull. Whether it was turnovers or missed shots, fatigue seemed to settle in and the scoring was put to a halt for a few minutes. Mariah Pearson (Blaine, Minn./Blaine HS) pulled the Saints out of the funk with an and-one layup to give the Saints a 46-35 lead. Sam Brannen (Ramsey, Minn./Anoka HS) hit a jumper a few seconds later to give the Saints two more points, but that would be it for field goals made for the Saints that quarter, as they went dry from the field for the last five minutes. The dry spell didn't stop the Saints from scoring, however, as they knocked in six free-throws to help keep their double-digit lead going into the fourth quarter.
Michala Walther (Roseville, Minn./Concordia Academy) started the scoring off in the last quarter with a layup to give the Saints a 56-42 lead. The Spartans would come roaring back, with a few big buckets by Braana Steen to help Dubuque pull within single digits of St. Scholastica. The Spartans, who were down six with almost a minute left, would make a few big shots to tie the game with 21 seconds left.
Most of the CSS players were unable to find success in the last quarter, that is except for Brannan, who hit four free-throws in the quarter, along with a big three when the Spartans were on a run to help the Saints hang on. Two of her four free-throws were in the final five seconds of play, as she drove to the rim for a potential game-winning shot, only to get fouled and be sent to the line in a 69-69 tie game. Brannan would remain cool and collected, as she knocked down both free-throws to give the Saints the lead and the win.
Top Performers
The Spartans were led by Abbey Meyer, who poured in 17 points and added six assists. Braana Steen also added to the scoring, netting 15 points of her own and recording four blocks.
The Saints were led by Brannan, who recorded a team-high 17 points. Michala Walther (Roseville, Minn./Concordia Academy) added 10 points and five assists to polish off her well rounded game. Brennan had a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Up Next
The Saints are on the road tomorrow as they take on Augsburg College at 3 p.m. to try and improve to 2-0 on the year.
