NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict used a 27-point second quarter to build a double-digit lead on its way to a 72-58 victory over the St. Olaf College women's basketball team on Wednesday evening at Skoglund Center.
After shooting below 25.0 percent in the opening quarter, Saint Ben's (13-8, 11-5 MIAC) connected on 11-of-17 (64.7 percent) of its shots in the second quarter to build a 38-28 halftime lead. The Bennies led by at least 10 points for the entire second half to complete the regular-season sweep of St. Olaf (4-17, 3-14 MIAC).
Junior
Paige Yagodinski was in double figures for the sixth time in seven games and led the Oles with 13 points and a team-high three steals. Junior
Ziling Zhen contributed 12 points, three rebounds, and three assists, while senior
Cayden Botten registered 10 points and four rebounds. First year
Chloee Smith approached a double-double with eight points and a team-high nine rebounds for the Oles, who committed a season-low eight turnovers in the loss.
Carla Meyer led a balanced attack of four Bennies in double figures with 15 points while going 3-for-6 from three-point range. Lydia Hay had 14 points, six rebounds, and four blocks, Sophia Jonas knocked down all three of her three-pointers on an 11-point night, and Kira Young added 10 points and eight boards. Saint Ben's shot 11-for-29 (37.9 percent) from behind the arc, compared to just 2-for-11 (18.2 percent) for St. Olaf.
Both teams shot under 30.0 percent from the field in the opening quarter, which saw Meyer score seven of Saint Ben's 11 points early on. A three-pointer from Yagodinski and a layup by Botten in the first four-plus minutes gave the Oles two of their three leads of the night as the teams went into the second quarter tied at 11-11.
A Botten jumper off an assist from Smith on St. Olaf's first possession of the second quarter put St. Olaf ahead for the final time on the night at 13-11. The Bennies hit their next five shots to open up a 22-15 lead midway through the quarter and led by as many as a dozen before a bucket by Zhen in the final seconds made it a 38-28 game at the half.
Saint Ben's started the third quarter by scoring the first nine points to balloon its lead to 47-28 and led by at least 10 the rest of the way. A bucket in the pain from Yagodinski with 7:33 to go in the game trimmed the Bennies' lead to 55-45, but Saint Ben's scored eight points in the next 1:13 to put the game out of reach.
The Oles hit the road for their next two games, starting with a trip to Duluth to face the College of St. Scholastica on Saturday, Feb. 10 at 1 p.m.
