ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The St. Scholastica women's basketball team battled hard on the road Wednesday night in Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) play at Hamline University, but came up just short in a 62–54 decision in Hutton Arena.
The Saints and Pipers played a physical, defensive-minded first quarter that ended tied 8–8, with both teams trading stops and gritty possessions. St. Scholastica earned trips to the free-throw line and used crisp ball movement to stay within striking distance throughout the first half, closing the second quarter trailing 20–19.
In the third, Hamline edged ahead with a couple of timely buckets, and despite a determined effort from the Saints, Hamline carried a slim 36–29 advantage into the final quarter.
Late in the fourth, St. Scholastica turned up the defensive pressure and forced a pair of turnovers, helping fuel a 7–2 run that cut Hamline's lead to just 46–43 with under eight minutes to play. The Saints stayed aggressive, draining a key 3-pointer and attacking the rim for free throws that brought the score to 52–50 with roughly four minutes left. But Hamline responded with a clutch scoring stretch, including a couple of transition buckets and late free throws that allowed the Pipers to pull away down the stretch.
Evie Schmitz (Burnsville, MN/St. Louis Park) lead the Saints with 17 points, including 5 3PT field goals. Ava Haus (St. Michael, MN/St. Michael-Albertville High School) finished with 11 points, while Kloey Lind (Pine City, MN/Pine City HS) added 9.
The loss drops the Saints to 8-4 overall, and 3-2 in MIAC play. Up next, the Saints travel to St. Olaf on Saturday, January 10. Tip off is scheduled for 1:00p.m.
