ST. JOSEPH, Minn. - The College of St. Scholastica women's basketball team kicked off its 2025-26 season in winning fashion Friday night, taking down Bethany Lutheran 64-53 at the College of Saint Benedict's Tip off Tournament.
After a tight first quarter that saw the Saints trailing 15-13, St. Scholastica surged ahead with a dominant second frame, outscoring the Vikings 23-6 to build a 15-point halftime advantage. The Saints' interior presence and defensive energy set the tone as they scored 42 of their 64 points in the paint and forced 21 Bethany turnovers.
Sophomore guard
Ava Haus (St. Michael, MN/St. Michael-Albertville High School) led the way offensively with 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting, and added three rebounds.
Kloey Lind (Pine City, MN/Pine City HS) provided a major spark inside, tallying 14 points, six boards, and a block, while
Evie Schmitz (Burnsville, MN/St. Louis Park) chipped in 11 points off the bench in an efficient 5-for-9 performance.
The Saints balanced attack continued with
Gabby Voigt (St. Michael. MN/St. Michael- Albertville HS) adding six points and three rebounds.
Ava Riegel (Rogers, MN/Totino Grace High School) led the team with 7 rebounds including 4 offensive. In total, nine different Saints found the scoring column, with the bench combining for 22 points.
St. Scholastica held Bethany Lutheran to just six points in the second quarter and 24-percent shooting from beyond the arc (4-for-24). The Saints' defense turned mistakes into momentum, scoring 15 points off turnovers and 7 in transition.
Bethany Lutheran was paced by Kenadi Arndt's 19 points and nine rebounds, while Arinn McGee added 10.
With the win, St. Scholastica improves to 1-0 on the year and will look to build on its early-season momentum when they return to action tomorrow and take on the University of Minnesota-Morris in their second game of the tip off tournament. That game is scheduled to start at 1pm.
