NORTHFIELD, Minn. – First years Hallie Koltz and Erin Schauer combined for 38 points to lead the St. Olaf College women's basketball team to a 66-65 non-conference win over Buena Vista on Saturday afternoon at Skoglund Center.

Koltz scored a game-high 24 points and Schauer added 14 to propel St. Olaf (2-0) past Buena Vista (2-2) in just the fourth meeting between the two programs. The Oles led for 36:25 in the game and trailed for just 37 seconds.

Koltz was 9-for-24 from the field and 6-for-8 from the free-throw line while also grabbing eight rebounds in 34 minutes. Schauer shot 4-for-9 from the field and 5-for-10 at the free-throw line to score in double figures for the second game in a row to start her career. Junior Joy Brandenstein and sophomore Elise Hahn each added eight points, with Hahn grabbing a game-high 14 rebounds and the duo combining for seven steals.

Junior Bree Wilkerson had two early buckets as part of an 8-2 start for St. Olaf that led to an early Buena Vista timeout. The Beavers took their first lead of the night at 16-15 in the final minute of the quarter before Brandenstein hit a late jumper to send the Oles into the second with a one-point lead.

St. Olaf started the second quarter on a 7-0 run to open up a 24-16 lead three minutes in and pushed its lead to 32-18 – its largest of the game – with 2:41 to go in the quarter. The Oles outscored the Beavers by a 15-2 margin over the first seven-plus minutes of the second, but the visitors ended the half on a 12-2 run to trail by just four at the break. Mary Walker had 13 of her team-high 24 points in the opening half for Buena Vista.

Koltz was 4-for-6 from the field during a 10-point third quarter, scoring 10 of the Oles' 18 points in the period. Back-to-back layups by Koltz pushed St. Olaf's lead to nine at 43-34, but the Beavers stayed with single digits, closing the quarter down by just four.

Buena Vista took just its second lead of the game at 55-54 on a three-pointer by Walker with 7:04 to go in the game, but St. Olaf quickly answered on a jumper by Koltz. The Oles took a four-point lead – the largest of the quarter – with 4:25 to play on layups by Wilkerson and Koltz. Koltz eventually hit the go-ahead layup with one minute remaining to break a 63-63 tie, as St. Olaf hung on after a missed shot in the paint as time expired.

The Oles will open Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) play at home on Wednesday, Nov. 19 against the College of Saint Benedict at 7 p.m.