Notables
-Brannen matched a career-high with 17 points
-CSS outscored Martin Luther in the first half 42-27
-Nine different Saints players scored points in the first half
-With the win, St. Scholastica is now tied for fourth place in the UMAC standings with six conference games to go

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DULUTH, Minn. (csssaints.com) – The St. Scholastica women's basketball team defeated the Knights of Martin Luther College by a final score of 72-63 in a strong home performance Saturday evening in the Reif Gymnasium.
 
First Quarter
The game started off with both sides playing high quality basketball.
 
No team was able to gain a lead of more than a couple points until late in the quarter when CSS rattled off a 10-2 run to end the period.
 
Leah Hamm (Duluth, Minn./Duluth Denfeld HS) got the run started for the Saints after sinking a 3-point shot to make the score 16-14 in favor of the Saints. Just over two minutes later, with just 16 seconds left in the quarter, Emelia Miner (Hutchinson, Minn./Hutchinson HS) capped off the run with a 3-pointer of her own to set the first quarter score at CSS 23, MLC 16.
 
Second Quarter
It took 1:27 to find the first basket of the second quarter. Martin Luther kicked off the scoring with a fastbreak layup to cut the CSS lead to 23-18.
 
Martin Luther did manage to bring its deficit to just four points at 25-21 after a made 3-pointer a minute later, but a monster 12-0 CSS run erased any thought Martin Luther had of retaking the lead,
 
The CSS run lasted just over four minutes and was led by a Hamm 3-pointer and four total points by Holly VanKempen (Elbow Lake, Minn./West Central HS).
 
CSS would not let up in the quarter, outscoring Martin Luther 19-11 as they took a 42-27 halftime lead into the locker room.
 
Third Quarter
Martin Luther worked hard in the third quarter, trimming the CSS lead as low as eight points at 49-41 with 4:29 to go in the quarter.
 
The Saints would rally, however as they ended the quarter on a 7-4 run to bring their lead back up to double digits at 56-45 going into the fourth and final quarter.
 
Fourth Quarter
The Saints would maintain their double digit lead for the majority of the fourth quarter.
 
Martin Luther would only manage to cut the margin to nine points on three separate occasions, but each time CSS had an answer as it rode out the rest of the game to a strong 72-63 conference win over the Knights.
 
VanKempen finished the night with a double-double scoring 13 points and hauling in 10 rebounds, while Sam Brannen (Ramsey, Minn./Anoka HS) led all scorers with 17 points.
 
Up Next
CSS (7-11, 5-5 UMAC) will be in action next Friday when they travel to Hancock, Michigan to take on Finlandia University with that game set to tip off at 8:30 p.m. (ET)