NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The St. Olaf College women's basketball team picked up its third-straight victory to start the season by downing the University of Minnesota Morris, 64-45, in non-conference play on Wednesday night at Skoglund Center.

St. Olaf (3-0) moved to 3-0 for the first time since the 2011-12 season with the win over Minnesota Morris (0-4) behind four double-digit scorers. Senior Rachel Kelly led the way with a game-high 19 points, while sophomore Paige Yagodinski, and senior Cassie Fix were also in double figures.

Yagodinski recorded her second double-double in three games this season with 15 points, 10 rebounds, and a team-high four assists. Fix posted her highest scoring output of the season with 10 points, six rebounds, and two steals.

The Oles grabbed 23 offensive rebounds and turned them into a 21-5 advantage in second-chance points, as six St. Olaf student-athletes had multiple offensive rebounds in the win. Minnesota Morris was just 2-for-20 (10.0 percent) from three-point range in the game and shot 28.3 percent (17-for-60) overall.

Fix scored six of her 10 points in the opening quarter to help St. Olaf to an 18-7 lead after 10 minutes. Senior Sophie Olmen and classmate Grace Hegland hit back-to-back three-pointers to finish off a 10-4 start for the Oles over the opening five minutes before Fix scored the final six points of the quarter, including a buzzer-beater than rattled home before the horn. St. Olaf maintained a lead of at least seven points for the entire second quarter and took a 28-20 lead at the break despite being limited to 10 points in the quarter. 

After being limited to four points in the first half, Kelly got going in the third quarter, scoring 11 points on 4-for-5 shooting from the field and 3-for-3 shooting from the free-throw line. Kelly's big quarter helped the Oles outscore the Cougars by a 21-8 margin to open up a 49-28 lead headed to the fourth.

St. Olaf led by as many as 25 in the fourth quarter on a three-pointer by Yagodinski with 6:05 to go and led by at least 15 for the remainder of the game. Kelly scored 15 of her 19 points after halftime, while Yagodinski added eight points and five boards in the second half.

The Oles open Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) play by hosting the College of Saint Benedict on Saturday, Nov 19 at 3 p.m. in the team's 50 Years of Title IX game.