DULUTH, Minn. – The St. Scholastica women's basketball team mounted an impressive fourth-quarter comeback Wednesday night, briefly taking the lead before Gustavus Adolphus closed the game with a late run to secure a 68-62 MIAC victory at Reif Gymnasium.
The Saints showed resilience throughout the night, battling back from a double-digit deficit in the second half and putting themselves in position to complete the comeback in the final minutes.
Ava Haus (St. Michael, MN/St. Michael-Albertville High School) delivered a standout performance, finishing with 25 points on 8-of-16 shooting while adding six rebounds. Evie Schmitz (Burnsville, MN/St. Louis Park) provided a major spark offensively, scoring 21 points and knocking down five three-pointers to help fuel St. Scholastica's late surge. Kloey Lind (Pine City, MN/Pine City HS) controlled the glass with a dominant 16-rebound effort to go along with 10 points, giving the Saints valuable second-chance opportunities and interior presence.
Gustavus held the edge through much of the first three quarters, building its lead behind balanced scoring and timely shooting. The Saints, however, refused to go away. St. Scholastica tightened up defensively in the fourth quarter and found its rhythm offensively, stringing together key stops and perimeter shots to swing momentum. A run midway through the quarter allowed the Saints to take the lead and energize the home crowd as the game entered its final stretch.
Despite the rally, Gustavus answered with critical baskets in the closing minutes to regain control. The Gusties converted late opportunities at the free throw line and capitalized on a few key possessions to hold off the Saints down the stretch.
St. Scholastica finished with three players in double figures and showcased the balanced attack and determination that has defined its MIAC campaign. The Saints will look to carry the momentum from their fourth-quarter surge into their next conference matchup as postseason positioning continues to take shape. The loss seals a first round road game for the Saints, who have already clinched a spot in the MIAC Playoffs.
Their final regular season game is on Saturday, February 21 against Concordia (Minn.) at 1p.m. for senior day.
