DULUTH, Minn. – The St. Olaf College women's basketball team could not overcome 24 turnovers and 34.0 percent shooting in a 65-47 road loss to the College of St. Scholastica on Saturday afternoon at Reif Gym.
St. Olaf (4-18, 3-15 MIAC) trailed just 39-31 after a low-scoring first three quarters before St. Scholastica (10-13, 7-11 MIAC) put up 26 in the fourth quarter to pull away. The Saints shot 8-for-10 (80.0 percent) from the field, 3-for-5 (60.0 percent) from three-point range, and 7-for-9 (77.8 percent) from the free-throw line over the final 10 minutes to complete the regular-season sweep.
Junior
Paige Yagodinski was the lone Ole in double figures with 12 points, seven rebounds, and three steals. Juniors
Sarah Tangen and
Sophia Kormann had nine points apiece, while first year
Chloee Smith added eight points and seven rebounds. The Oles finished the game shooting 16-for-47 (34.0 percent) overall and missed all eight of their three-point attempts.
Lexi Imdieke scored a game-high 17 points on 5-for-14 shooting from the field, including going 3-for-8 from behind the arc, and 4-for-4 shooting at the free-throw line for St. Scholastica, which also got 13 points, eight rebounds, and six assists from Kloey Lind. The Saints were just 20-for-56 (35.7 percent) from the field in the win but made eight three-pointers and shot 17-for-20 (85.0 percent) at the charity stripe. St. Scholastica also scored 30 points off turnovers and got 45 points from its bench on an afternoon when the Saints had three starters come off the bench on Senior Day.
St. Olaf led for 6:33 in the game, which all came in the opening quarter, as the Oles held the Saints scoreless until a three-pointer by Imdieke 5:08 into the game. St. Olaf opened up a 7-0 lead before the Imdieke three-pointer behind three layups and a free throw over the first four-plus minutes. After the early drought, St. Scholastica held the Oles without a point for the final 4:34 of the quarter to take a 14-9 lead into the second.
The Saints stretched their lead to 22-11 four minutes into the second quarter before a three-point play from Smith cut the Oles' deficit back to single digits. Two free throws from Smith with 2:09 left in the first half trimmed St. Olaf's deficit to four at 25-21 before St. Scholastica carried a 28-23 lead into the locker room. Imdieke led all scorers with eight first-half points.
The two teams combined for just five made field goals and 16 turnovers in a third quarter that included a combined 19 points. Leading 39-31 after three, the Saints heated up in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Oles 26-16 to run away with the win. Yagodinski had eight of St. Olaf's 16 points in the fourth.
St. Olaf has another long road trip on Wednesday, Feb. 14 as the Oles head to Concordia-Moorhead for a 5:15 p.m. tip-off.
