Notables:
-Brennan scored 12 of her 16 points in the 2nd half alone
-Desiree Davis had 10 steals for the Storm
-Crown outscored CSS in every period except the first

DULUTH, Minn. (csssaints.com) - On Saturday night, the St. Scholastica women's basketball team's offense bounced back after a rough Friday night loss, earning a 67-63 victory over Crown College at the Reif Gymnasium.

Saints Take Early Control
After Crown put the first two points on the board, the Saints answered with an Emelia Miner (Hutchinson, Minn./Hutchinson HS) 3-pointer, taking back the lead, which they would not give up for the rest of the game. They scored nine unanswered points in two and a half minutes, then rallied again at the end of the first quarter to score 10 more consecutive points. Michala Walther (Roseville, Minn./Concordia Academy) played a big role for CSS, hitting 4-for-6 from the field in the first half, which ended with the Saints leading 34-28. 

Rally Not Enough for Crown
The Storm stepped it up in the second half, with three different players scoring eight points each. With the Saints up by 13 with four minutes left in the game, Crown went on a nine point run to close the gap to four points. The Storm battled hard and brought the lead to within a single point with 35 seconds left on the clock. Crown would have a chance to tie the game in the 15 seconds trailing by two, but the layup rolled off the rim. Successful free throws by Miner, and Brittani Brennan (Ashland, Wis./Ashland HS) kept the game in the Saints' control though, allowing them to take the 67-63 win.

Top Performers for CSS
Brittani Brennan (Ashland, Wis./Ashland HS), the team's leading scorer, tallied 12 of her 16 points in the second half to keep Crown's rally from overtaking the Saints. Holly VanKempen (Elbow Lake, Minn./West Central HS) led the team in rebounds with six. Walther was right behind her with five rebounds, and 12 points of her own.

Top Performers for Crown
Desiree Davis led the Storm in scoring, with 21 points, and in rebounding, with six. She also went 2-for-2 on free throws and collected 10 steals. 

Up Next
The Saints (9-13, 6-7 UMAC) will play their Alumni Game next Saturday, starting at 12:15 p.m, followed by a bridge battle against the University of Wisconsin-Superior starting at 5 p.m. in the Reif Gymnasium.