MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The eighth-ranked Gustavus women's basketball team dealt Augsburg a convincing 68-35 defeat on Saturday, Feb. 1, at Si Melby Hall.
The Gusties (18-1,11-1 MIAC) led 23-8 after the first quarter and never looked back, allowing just nine made Augsburg shots from the floor on 47 attempts for a clip of 19.1 percent, the team's best defensive performance of the season. A total of 15 Gusties saw time against the Auggies, 12 of which made a shot Saturday afternoon.
Syd Hauger (5th, Springfield, Minn.) sparked the hot start in the first 10 minutes, going 3-for-5 in seven minutes for nine points off the bat, leading the Gusties to 47.1 percent (8-for-17) shooting in quarter one. A nine point run gave Gustavus a 15 point lead at the end of the frame, which featured eight Augsburg turnovers. The home team managed just three of their nine total buckets to start, with all eight of its points coming out of the hands of Lani Fonoti.
Shooting slowed for the visitors in the second quarter, but defense was certainly not lacking, as the Gusties forced 11 Augsburg turnovers and didn't allow a single shot from the field, as the Auggies (3-16,1-11 MIAC) went 0-for-8, getting their only three points from the free throw line. Head Coach
Laurie Kelly was able to work eight different players off her bench into the game in just the second quarter, out-scoring the Augsburg non-starters 10-1 for a 35-11 advantage at the end of the half.
Augsburg compiled its best performance of the game after the break, going shot-for-shot with the Gusties for a 14-13 third quarter, but nine second half points from
Emma Kniefel (5th, Medford, Minn.) closed out the dominant defensive performance, 68-35.
The Gusties finished shooting 36.8 percent (25-for-68), including a mark of 56.3 percent (9-for-16) in the final frame. Gustavus hit just 4-of-19 (21.1 percent) attempts from beyond the arc, but went 14-for-15 from the charity stripe. Augsburg, meanwhile, never eclipsed the 30 percent mark in any quarter, finishing the game 19.1 percent (9-for-47) from the field and 16.0 percent (4-for-25) from three-point land, getting 13 of its 35 points off free throws.
Gustavus out-scored Augsburg in every major category, including marks of 25-3 off turnovers, 36-2 in the paint, 10-0 on 20 offensive boards, 15-1 in fast break points, and 30-10 from players off the bench. The team's 54 rebounds were the most against any opponent all season, with 14 of 15 players grabbing one off the glass.
Kniefel finished with the team lead in points, totaling 13 on 6-for-8 shooting, while Hauger added 11, nine of which were scored in the first quarter. Hauger's eight boards, all defensive, were a team- and game-leading mark, while
Kylie Baranick (Sr., Maple Grove, Minn.) and
Anna Goodman (Fy., Lakeville, Minn.) dished out four assists each. The Gusties combined for 10 steals, as
Izzy Quick (5th, Brooklyn Park, Minn.),
Rachel Kawiecki (Sr., Richfield, Minn.), and
Kendyl Queensland (So., Grand Meadow, Minn.) accounted for a pair each.
Gustavus returns home to host Saint Mary's on Wednesday, Feb. 5, at Gus Young Court. The Gusties will also celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day, as well as the first day of the second annual
Give Like A Champion campaign.
