WINONA, Minn. - No. 6/7 Gustavus women's basketball set the tone early Wednesday at Saint Mary's, allowing just two points in the first quarter and rolled to a 74-32 victory. The Gusties improve to 12-1 overall and 8-0 in the MIAC, while the Cardinals drop to 2-12 overall and 0-10 in the league.
"It was nice that we made some shots early and got to rest a lot of players," Head Coach
Laurie Kelly said. "Any time you go into someone else's gym and play that well, especially in the MIAC, you're going to feel good about it. I think we took care of the ball and executed our defensive game plan well."
The first quarter started slow on both ends of the court with the Gusties leading just 5-2 after the first four minutes. A three-pointer by
Kylie Baranick on the ensuing possession sparked a 19-0 run that lasted 2:16 into the second quarter before the Cardinals scored just their second field goal of the game. Gustavus continued to add to its lead the rest of the half, going into the locker room with a 41-11 advantage.
The second half was essentially a moot point as the Gusties outscored the Cardinals 21-9 in the third quarter and went an even 12-12 in the fourth to seal the decisive win.
The Gusties, who shot 41.1 percent from the floor and 12-of-31 from three-point range, held the Cardinals to 31 percent shooting.
Lexi Schermann led the Gusties with a career-high 17 points off the bench, shooting 5-of-6 from three-point range.
"She's a hidden gem," Kelly said of Schermann. "I'd like to say I'm surprised but she's such a good shooter. She found it early tonight and they were playing a lot of zone so that allowed her time to shoot."
Izzy Quick added nine points, a game-high seven rebounds, three assists, and two steals. All 15 Gustavus players saw time on the court.
Gustavus travels to Hamline on Saturday for a 1 p.m. tip off.
