Notables
-Lowest scoring game of the season for the Saints
-Season best 16 points for Walther
-Bench points: CSS - 30, UMM - 7

MORRIS, Minn. (csssaints.com) - The St. Scholastica women's basketball team fell in an Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) matchup on Saturday against the University of Minnesota Morris with a final score of 67-47, making it the lowest scoring game of the season for CSS.

First Half
Morris started early against the Saints, outscoring CSS 17-5 in the first six and a half minutes of the game. Michala Walther (Roseville, Minn./Concordia Academy) hit eight points for the Saints in the remaining minutes of the first quarter to shrink the point difference from 12 to eight. Morris hit the last basket of the quarter, a free throw, to end the first with the Saints trailing by nine. 

The start of the second was tough for CSS as well, as the Cougars went on a 21 point streak to open things up. The Saints would not score in the second quarter until there was just under two minutes left before halftime, on a jumper from Danielle Cieluch (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East HS) to make the score 43-15. Two free throws from Kaylee Kennedy (Littlefork, Minn./Littlefork-Big Falls HS) and a fast break basket from Sam Brannen (Ramsey, Minn./Anoka HS) closed things out for the first half and sent the teams to the locker rooms with a score of 45-19 in favor of Morris.

Second Half
Walther opened things up in the second half with five points, coming on a jump shot and a 3-pointer. Morris answered with a basket of their own, followed by a successful free throw, coming from Walther. This made the score 47-25 with a lot of time left in the game. Despite the Saints' best efforts they could not close the point gap during the quarter, getting no closer than 19 points to the lead. The score deficit stayed consistent through the fourth quarter too. The teams were evenly matched in their point scoring, but the slow start by the Saints kept them from getting close enough to overtake the lead. The Saints got the last word with two baskets from Maddy Halley (Forest Lake, Minn./Forest Lake HS) in the last minute in a half, but it was too little too late and the game ended with a final score of 67-47.

Notable Performances
For the Saints, Walther hit a season-high 16 points. She also pulled in five rebounds. Chelsea Swatek (Cromwell, Minn./Cromwell HS) and Cieluch each scored seven points to contribute for CSS.

Morris had three players with double digit points: Elli Stevenson with 13, Kendra Raths with 15, and leading the way was Abby Van Kempen who hit 16 with 13 rebounds to earn the double-double.

Up Next
The Saints (4-5, 1-3 UMAC) step out of the UMAC next weekend when they take on the College of Saint Benedict in Duluth. The game is set to begin at 1 p.m. on Saturday.