MENOMONIE, Wis. – After battling a pair of WIAC schools to two season-opening wins over the weekend, No. 11 Gustavus women's basketball made the trip back across the border for the Division III women's basketball game of the week, facing No. 13 UW-Stout, who took a trip to the NCAA's Sweet 16 last season. The Gusties (3-0 overall) once again used strong defensive play, accompanied by 83.3 percent shooting from the free-throw line and a big fourth quarter to power past the Blue Devils (2-1 overall) on the road, 62-53.
The home team opened the game up with an early 8-2 lead, going 3-for-3 in the opening minutes with a pair of quick three-pointers. But, it was nothing
Morgan Kelly (Saint Peter, Minn.) couldn't handle, as the senior came off the bench for seven points in under three minutes for a 9-0 Gustie run to take the the lead over at 11-8. Stout cut the advantage to one, 11-10, but a dagger from
Emma Kniefel (5th, Medford, Minn.), who went 6-for-6 from three in her last game, and a
Kylie Baranick (Sr., Maple Grove, Minn.) layup helped the Gusties maintain the lead at the end of the first frame, 16-10.
Scoring was unconventional in the second quarter to say the least, as the two national powerhouses combined for just 12 points. Both teams shot below 25 percent, each only making two shots, but defense made the difference heading into halftime. The Gusties collected nine rebounds, including three on the offensive end of the court, and four steals, all of which came from different players, to hold Stout at bay, heading into the half up 23-18.
The Blue Devils came out of the locker room on a mission, going 5-for-5 in the first three minutes of the third quarter to cut the Gustie lead to one at 30-29. Stout, determined to continue their own winning streak, dominated the glass, totaling 10 rebounds to the Gusties' three.
Syd Hauger (5th, Springfield, Minn.), who went 0-for-3 in the first half, kept the Gusties alive, picking up seven third quarter points to limit the damage, as the Blue Devils tied things up at the end of the third, 39-39.
The Gusties and
Rachel Kawiecki (Sr., Richfield, Minn.) played their best basketball in the fourth quarter, forcing five Stout turnovers, collecting three steals, and drawing six fouls. Kawiecki, who had just two points in the first three quarters combined, put up 12 on the Blue Devils in the final frame, helping Gustavus separate its lead early in the fourth quarter. The Gusties made seven of eight fourth quarter free throws, while Stout struggled from the charity stripe, going 6-for-12 to miss crucial points late in the game. The Blue Devils missed three shots in the game's final 30 seconds, and Kawiecki sealed the deal with a defensive rebound, as the Gusties collected their third consecutive win over a WIAC opponent, 62-53.
Kawiecki led the team's scoring efforts with 14 points on 4-for-7 shooting, including a perfect 6-for-6 from the line. She added eight rebounds, two assists, and a steal in 21 minutes on the court. Hauger was next with 11 points, followed by Baranick wand
Izzy Quick (5th, Brooklyn Park, Minn.) with 10 each. Quick added 10 rebounds to complete the double-double.
The Gusties finished shooting 48 percent (24-for-50) and 28.6 percent from three. Strong free-throw shooting (10-for-12) propelled the team to victory, as well as 12 second chance points and 16 off turnovers. Gustavus won the battle of the boards 28-26, collected eight steals, and forced 19 UW-Stout turnovers.
The Gusties will enjoy nearly a week off before returning to Wisconsin to close out the WIAC portion of their schedule, facing UW-River Falls (2-0 overall) on the road Wednesday night.
