ST. BONIFACIUS, Minn. – Sophomore
Elise Hahn posted a 17-point, 17-rebound double-double to lead the St. Olaf College women's basketball team to a 56-47 victory over Crown College in its season opener on Tuesday evening at Crown Athletic Center.
Hahn tallied the first double-double of her collegiate career and combined with first year
Erin Schauer to score 33 of the 56 points in the win for St. Olaf (1-0), which improved to 7-0 all-time against Crown (0-2) with the victory. The Oles held the Polars to 25.9 percent (15-for-58) shooting from the field, including limiting Crown's leading scorer Brayli Reimer to a 4-for-18 (22.2 percent) night.
Hahn shot 5-for-8 from the field and 7-for-8 at the free-throw line while grabbing seven of her 10 rebounds on the offensive end. The sophomore, who easily surpassed her previous career highs of three points and four rebounds, also had three blocked shots and three steals. Schauer went 5-for-11 from three-point range to score 16 points in her collegiate debut for the Oles.
Both teams shot under 30.0 percent in the opening quarter and went into the second tied at 10-10. St. Olaf started 0-for-8 from the field and trailed 6-0 before sophomore
Glory Johanson hit a fast-break layup six minutes in for the Oles' first points of the season.
After shooting 21.4 percent (3-for-14) in the opening quarter, St. Olaf went 5-for-12 (41.7 percent) in the second quarter, led by a seven-point quarter by Hahn, to take a 26-25 lead into the locker room. Schauer and fellow first year
Norah Bickett hit back-to-back three-pointers midway through the quarter to give the Oles their largest lead of the half at 21-17 in a half where neither team led by more than six.
St. Olaf held Crown to eight points on 3-for-15 (20.0 percent) shooting in the third quarter, outscoring the hosts by a 19-8 margin to open up a 12-point lead heading to the fourth. The Oles held the Polars scoreless for over six minutes as part of a 13-0 run that included three-pointers by Schauer, junior
Joy Brandenstein, and junior
Bree Wilkerson and carried a 45-33 lead into the final 10 minutes.
After an early three-pointer by Schauer, Crown held St. Olaf without a point for over six minutes in the fourth quarter to trim a 48-36 deficit to 48-45 inside the final two minutes before Schauer drained another three-pointer to end the drought. With the Oles still up six inside the final minute, Hahn blocked a three-pointer and went in for a three-point play on the break to seal the victory.
St. Olaf will play its next three games at home, beginning with a 3 p.m. tip-off against Buena Vista on Saturday, Nov. 15 in the Oles' home opener.
