NORTHFIELD, Minn. – Junior Rachel Kelly scored a career-high 26 points and the St. Olaf College women's basketball team went 21-for-23 from the free-throw line in a 63-55 conference win over St. Catherine University on Saturday afternoon at Skoglund Center.

Kelly was 9-for-18 from the field and 8-for-8 at the charity stripe on the way to the highest scoring game of her collegiate career for St. Olaf (6-10, 5-8 MIAC), which picked up its third win in its last four conference games. St. Kate's (5-8, 4-6 MIAC) led by as many as 13 points in the second quarter but the Oles outscored the Wildcats by an 18-6 margin in the third quarter to pick up their second win in the last 11 meetings in the series.

Kelly's 26-point performance marked the most points in a game by an Ole since senior K'Lynn Lewis had a career-high 32 points in an 82-73 win over Buena Vista on Nov. 15, 2019. The junior's previous career high was a 25-point outing at Concordia-Moorhead on Feb. 12, 2020.

In addition to Kelly's 26-point, eight-rebound game, junior Sophie Olmen scored 11 of her 13 points in the second half and pulled down seven rebounds for St. Olaf. Junior Cassie Fix added 12 points and six rebounds while playing all 40 minutes and classmate Grace Hegland pitched in with eight points, six rebounds, and three steals.

The Oles enjoyed advantages of 30-16 in points in the paint and 27-17 in points off turnovers in the win, while limiting the Wildcats 17-for-55 (30.9 percent) shooting. Sam Orth led St. Kate's with 19 points and five rebounds, while Greta Schimnowski was 4-for-8 from three-point range on her way to a 14-point, four-rebound game.

A three-point play by first year Sophia Kormann knotted the score at 7-7 with 4:16 to go in the opening quarter but was the final points of the quarter for St. Olaf, as St. Kate's went on an extended 8-0 run to open up a 15-7 lead after one. Schimnowski scored the first five points of the second quarter inside the opening minute to give the Wildcats their largest lead of the game at 20-7.

Kelly scored 12 of St. Olaf's 15 points in the second quarter to keep the Oles in the game, including a personal 6-0 run to cut a 12-point deficit to six, 28-22, with 1:30 to go in the first half. St. Kate's took a 30-22 lead into the locker room after holding St. Olaf to 33.3-percent (8-for-24) shooting from the field in the opening half.

After the break, the Oles held the Wildcats scoreless for the first 7:52 of the third quarter as part of a 16-0 run that resulted in a 38-30 lead for the hosts. Olmen hit a three-pointer and knocked down all three free throws after being fouled on a three-pointer midway through the quarter to give St. Olaf its first lead since 4-2 at 32-30.

After missing their first 10 shots of the quarter, St. Kate's hit back-to-back three-pointers to get within two, 38-36, before Fix hit a jumper on St. Olaf's final possession of the quarter to make it a 40-36 game after three.

A layup by Hegland and a three-point play by Fix to start the fourth quarter pushed the Oles' lead to a game-high nine, 45-36, with 8:55 remaining. St. Olaf continued to lead by at least five until a Schimnowski three-pointer made it a 54-50 game with 2:47 to go. Olmen responded with a three-pointer of her own and the Oles hit all six of their free throws down the stretch to seal the win.

St. Olaf continues a run of four-straight home games by hosting Gustavus on Wednesday, Jan. 26 at 7 p.m.