SAINT PETER, Minn. - The second season starts tonight for the Gustavus women's basketball team as it hosts Saint Benedict in the MIAC Semifinals. The Gusties finished the regular season as MIAC champions with a 19-1 league record and are 23-2 overall, while the Bennies are 15-10 overall and the No. 5 seed in the MIAC playoffs. 

GUSTIES IN THE MIAC PLAYOFFS

The MIAC Women's Basketball Playoffs began in 2001, and since then Gustavus has made appearances in each playoff for 22 years with a record of 20-21, including the team's first playoff championships in 2022 followed by a repeat title in 2023. This year's playoff appearance marks the second consecutive year the Gusties own the No. 1 seed and home court advantage outright. Last season, the Gusties defeated Saint Ben's in the semifinals and Concordia in the championship. They went on to beat Ohio Wesleyan in the first round of the NCAA tournament before falling to UW-Whitewater in the second round. 

THE SERIES

Friday night's game will mark the 88th meeting between Gustavus and Saint Benedict on the court, and the eighth playoff meeting between the two teams, with the Gusties holding the winning playoff record, 5-2. Last season, the Gusties beat the Bennies 97-62 in the MIAC semifinals. This season, the Gusties swept the regular season series, winning 77-62 in St. Joseph on Jan. 15 and then completing the sweep with a 96-66 win on Feb. 10 in Saint Peter. 

SCOUTING THE GUSTIES

The Gusties are coming off a 77-42 victory over Hamline on Saturday, where the team held the Pipers to single digits in two quarters. Gustavus is ranked No. 5 in the d3hoops.com national poll this week, and are high on the list in a number of NCAA statistical rankings. The Gusties rank third in the country for field goal percentage (48.6), ninth for scoring margin (24.5), 11th in assists per game (18.2), 14th in rebound margin (10.7), and 17th in scoring defense (51.0 points allowed per game). The trio of Syd Hauger, Emma Kniefel, and Rachel Kawiecki lead the Gusties offensively, averaging 11.8, 11.4, and 11.3 points per game, respectively. Hauger is shooting 65.1 percent from the floor, which ranks second in Division III this season and fifth in all NCAA divisions. As a team, the Gusties finished the regular season leading the MIAC in 12 different statistical categories, and clinched their second regular season title outright last Saturday.

SCOUTING THE BENNIES

Saint Benedict enters tonight's MIAC semifinal following a 72-69 win over Bethel on the road in Tuesday's quarterfinal. CSB's Carla Meyer led the Bennies with 22 points on 9-for-11 shooting from the field in the game. Meyer leads the team's scoring with 14.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.4 steals, and 33.8 minutes per game. The team is shooting 41.7 percent from the floor, with a 34.8 percent mark from beyond the arc, averaging a total of 69.3 points per game while allowing 65.3.