DULUTH, Minn. – The regular season came to a close Saturday afternoon at Reif Gymnasium, as the College of St. Scholastica women's basketball team fell to Concordia-Moorhead, 74-54, in MIAC action.
The Saints conclude the regular season at 16-9 overall and 11-7 in conference play, while the Cobbers, one of the league's top teams, improved to 22-3 overall and 16-2 in the MIAC.
Ava Haus (St. Michael, MN/St. Michael-Albertville High School) once again led the offensive effort for St. Scholastica, pouring in a game-high 29 points on 9-of-22 shooting, including five three-pointers. She was a perfect 6-for-6 at the free throw line and added five rebounds in 33 minutes of action. Haus accounted for more than half of the Saints' scoring and continued her strong perimeter play to close out the regular season.
Kloey Lind (Pine City, MN/Pine City HS) added six points and pulled down nine rebounds to help anchor the Saints on the glass. Jackie Johnson (Bemidji, MN/Bemidji HS) chipped in six points on 2-of-4 shooting from beyond the arc, while Savannah Schlueter (Hutchinson, MN/Hutchinson HS) provided a spark off the bench with five points, including a three-pointer in the fourth quarter. Ryaan Speer (Rochester, MN/Rochester Century HS) also connected from long range and finished with three points in limited minutes.
As a team, the Saints shot 34.6 percent from the field (18-of-52) and 38.5 percent from three-point range (10-of-26). St. Scholastica found more offensive rhythm in the fourth quarter, shooting 50 percent from the floor and from beyond the arc over the final 10 minutes.
Concordia-Moorhead used a strong third quarter to create separation, outscoring the Saints 26-16 in the period. The Cobbers capitalized on turnovers and depth, finishing with 35 bench points and 21 points off turnovers.
Despite the final margin, the Saints battled throughout, highlighted by Haus' perimeter shooting and a balanced rebounding effort that saw St. Scholastica collect 36 total boards.
With the regular season now complete, the Saints will move on to postseason play for the first time since joining the MIAC. St. Scholastica is set to compete in its first-ever MIAC playoff game on Tuesday, February 24, traveling to Bethel for a conference quarterfinal matchup.
