ST. JOSEPH, Minn. - The College of St. Scholastica women's basketball team continued its strong start to the season, improving to 2-0 with an 84-68 victory over Minnesota Morris on Saturday afternoon at Claire Lynch Hall.
The Saints used a dominant second quarter, outscoring the Cougars 27-9, to take control of the game and never look back.
Evie Schmitz (Burnsville, MN/St. Louis Park) led the way with an efficient performance, scoring 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting, including four three-pointers.
Kloey Lind (Pine City, MN/Pine City HS) added a monster 19-point, 18-rebound double-double, controlling the pain on both ends.
Behind them,
Ava Haus (St. Michael, MN/St. Michael-Albertville High School) poured in 15 points and hit four threes, while
Jackie Johnson (Bemidji, MN/Bemidji HS) chipped in 12 points, all from beyond the arc. The Saints connected on 14-of-35 (40%) from three-point range, compared to just five triples for the Cougars. The Saints set a new program record for threes made in a game with 14.
St. Scholastica's bench provided a big lift, contributing 34 points, while the defense forced 22 turnovers and turned them into 21 points on the other end. The Saints also dominated second-chance opportunities, pulling down 15 offensive boards for 18 points.
Minnesota Morris was led by Maddy Grove with 17 points, but the Saints' balanced scoring and defensive pressure proved too much to handle.
After a tight opening quarter that saw the Saints trail 19-18, St. Scholastica broke the game open in the second with hot shooting and transition play, building a 45-28 halftime lead. The Cougars trimmed the margin slightly in the second half, but the Saints' depth and energy carried them to a comfortable win.
Kloey Lind's (Pine City, MN/Pine City HS) two day performance, 14 points and 6 rebounds Friday, 19 points and 18 rebounds Saturday, earned her a spot on the All-Tournament Team.
St. Scholastica (2-0) will look to stay unbeaten as they continue their non-conference play on Wednesday, November 12th. They will take on UW-
Superior in a home contest. That game is scheduled for 7pm.
