SAINT PETER, Minn – No. 8 Gustavus women's basketball was dominant on both ends of the court in a 73-39 thrashing of Saint Mary's on Wednesday, Feb. 5 at Gus Young Court.
Coming off their best defensive performance of the season a game earlier, the Gusties (19-1, 12-1 MIAC) forced 26 turnovers and held SMU to a clip of 32.6 percent (14-for-43) from the floor to nearly triple the Cardinals' points in three of four quarters. The Gusties shot above 52 percent in all but the second quarter, with 12 different players chipping in points.
Morgan Kelly (Sr., Saint Peter, Minn.) broke the game open after each team hit a layup, as the senior hit a three-pointer off an
Izzy Quick (5th, Brooklyn Park, Minn.) offensive rebound, followed by a jumper off a SMU turnover on the next play for a 7-2 lead. Saint Mary's (8-11, 6-7 MIAC) cut the deficit to three, but a 10-2 run to end the first frame and seven turnovers for the visitors put the Gusties up 21-8.
The Cardinals claimed the second quarter, 13-9, after the once hot shooting fell cold for the Gusties, going just 19 percent (4-for-21) from the field, including a meager 1-for-10 from beyond the arc. The Gustavus defense, meanwhile, continued to stymie Saint Mary's, totaling a trio of blocks, including two from Kelly, who added four more points in the second 10 minutes. Neither team scored for the final two minutes before the half, giving the Gusties a nine-point lead, 30-21.
Head Coach
Laurie Kelly's halftime speech got the home team back on track, closing out the game with a convincing performance that featured minutes for the entire Gustie bench. Kelly's squad out-scored Saint Mary's 43-18 on 53.6 percent (15-for-28) shooting and held the visitors to just six buckets in the second half. Despite missing 11 attempts from three in the first and second quarters, the Gusties drained 7-of-12 from three-point land after the break to put the game out of reach, 73-39.
Saint Mary's contested the home team in the paint, with 20 points to the Gusties' 24, but a 31-9 margin off the bench and 32-8 difference off turnovers led to the 19th Gustavus win of the season and 12th in conference play. The Gusties grabbed 19 steals, their second-most in a game this season, and out-rebounded the Cardinals 33-26, including a mark of 15-6 in offensive boards.
Kelly (6-for-12) led all scorers with 14 points, followed by 11 for
Emma Kniefel (5th, Medford, Minn.), who got nine of her points from distance.
Rachel Kawiecki (Sr., Richfield, Minn.) grabbed a game-high eight rebounds alongside eight points, while she, Quick, and Kniefel each collected a trio of steals.
SMU's Brianna Nusbaum led her team with 10 points on 3-for-8 shooting.
The women's basketball seniors with President Bergman
As a part of National Girls and Women in Sports Day as well as the first day of the
Give Like A Champion fundraising campaign, the Gusties also celebrated Gustavus Adolphus College President Rebecca Bergman for her 11 years of service to the College. Bergman served as an honorary coach, and is in her final semester of service to the College before retirement.
The Gusties hit the road for one of the biggest match-ups remaining in the conference schedule, heading to Arden Hills to face No. 25 Bethel (17-3, 13-0 MIAC), who remains undefeated in conference play. The Royals won the first meeting this season 72-58 in Saint Peter on January 18.
