Notables:
-The Saints have not shot above 70 percent from the free throw line in the last nine games
-Points in the Paint: CSS-48; NLC-52
-Weisbrick with a season-high 20 points and eight rebounds
-Weyenberg with a career-high 16 points
ASHLAND, Wis. (
csssaints.com) - The St. Scholastica's women basketball team was nearly beat out by Northland College 82-78 in Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) action Friday night.
The Action
In the first quarter,
Mel Weisbrick (Hibbing, Minn./Hibbing HS (Hibbing CC)) shot a good layup ten seconds into the game, putting the Saints on the board first 2-0. The LumberJills were able to tie up the game with a good layup, pushing the score to 2-2. Northland would take a bit of a lead, but St. Scholastica's
Kayla Swanson (Hibbing, Minn./Hibbing HS) would tie it up 6-6 with two good free throws. The LumberJills would take the lead from here throughtout the rest of the period, leading by as much as eight points. The quarter would end with the Saints falling behind by a score of 22-17.
Northland would continue to lead throughout the second quarter, by as much as 10 points at one time. But the Saints rallied and
Holly VanKempen (Elbow Lake, Minn./West Central HS) would get a good layup in the paint to tie the game 38-38 with a minute to go in the period. She would then complete the three-point-play to up the Saints up by one, but the LumberJills went back in front in the ensuing possession and led at the half 40-39.
The third quarter saw five ties and seven lead changes. The Saints went ahead half way through the period, with
Michala Walther (Roseville, Minn./Concordia Academy) netting a 3-pointer to give CSS the lead of 55-52. The Saints would hold onto the lead for two minutes, before the LumberJills took back the lead 58-57. The Saints would stay behind Northland by as much as three points, until
Rachel Weyenberg (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East HS) took the lead back by netting a good layup. This layup put the score at 64-63 going into the fourth and final quarter.
In the fourth quarter, St. Scholastica would extend its lead, leading by as much as six points with seven minutes remaining. Northland, however, responded with an 8-0 run to regian the lead with over five minutes to go. Neither team led by more than three points the rest of the game. CSS trailed by one with less than two minutes to go, but a 3-point attempt from the top of the key was off the mark. After the LumberJills made one free throw, the Saints had a chance to tie with under 20 seconds remaining, but the shot from the right block was off the mark. Northland proceeded to drain a pair of free throws to take the game by a final of 82-78.
Top Performers
Walther led St. Scholastica with 21 points. Weisbrick added a season-high 20 points and Weyenberg netted a career-high 16. Weisbrick also grabbed a season-high eight rebounds.
Northland's Bethany Best led all scorers with 24 points.
Up Next
The Saints (5-13, 4-7 UMAC) travel to Hancock, Michigan for a non-conference match against Finlandia University (Mich.) tomorrow. Game time is scheduled for 4 p.m. (ET).
