NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The St. Olaf College women's basketball team was defeated by a 67-51 margin by second-place Saint Mary's University in Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) on Saturday afternoon at Skoglund Center.
After a 36-point loss in the first meeting on Jan. 21, St. Olaf (5-16, 0-14 MIAC) hung in with Saint Mary's (17-5, 11-3 MIAC) in the first and fourth quarters but was outscored by a 42-25 margin in the middle two quarters. Ayla Olson powered the Cardinals to the win with a 26-point, 11-rebound double-double.
First year
Erin Schauer scored 14 of her team-leading 18 points in the second half for St. Olaf, shooting 6-for-10 from the field and 2-for-3 from three-point range, while adding four rebounds and three steals. Sophomore
Elise Hahn finished with 13 points, eight rebounds, and six blocked shots as the Oles scored 30 of their 51 points in the paint.
In addition to Olson's double-double, Brianna Nusbaum was the only other Cardinal in double figures with 12 points, three steals, and two assists, while Julia Koch had nine points. Saint Mary's forced St. Olaf into 26 turnovers that led to 29 points for the visitors, who also held a 16-5 advantage in second-chance points.
St. Olaf shot 5-for-8 (62.5 percent) from the field in the first quarter but turned the ball over 10 times in the quarter. Despite the turnovers, the Oles were down by just two, 13-11, at the end of the quarter after holding the Cardinals to 4-for-17 (23.5 percent) shooting.
Saint Mary's heated up offensively in the second quarter, shooting 7-for-11 (63.6 percent) in the quarter to open up a 35-25 halftime lead. After a three-point play by Hahn had the Oles down by just one, the Cardinals went on a 9-0 run to build a 26-16 advantage midway through the quarter.
Olson scored 11 of Saint Mary's 20 third-quarter points to hold the visitors extend their lead to 55-36 heading to the fourth. Schauer had seven points in each of the final two quarters for St. Olaf, which trailed by as many as 23 in the fourth before ending the game on a 7-2 run.
The Oles will travel to Duluth for a 7 p.m. meeting with the College of St. Scholastica on Wednesday, Feb. 11.
