SAINT PETER, Minn. - Junior
Ella Peters (River Falls, Wis.) scored the second most points in a game in program history on Wednesday night, scoring 33 points and adding 11 rebounds as the Gusties took down St. Scholastica, 61-49. Sophomore
Anna Goodman (Lakeville, Minn.) also had an outstanding night, stealing the ball away six times, the most of any player in the MIAC women's basketball this season and tied for the most across either men or women.
Coming into the game, the Gusties (9-6, 5-3 MIAC) were looking to extend their win streak against the Saints (11-4, 6-2 MIAC) to 14 games, dating back to December 3, 1996. The streak runs throughout all contests between the two teams, who have only been consistently playing against each other since the 2021-22 season when St. Scholastica and Macalester rejoined the MIAC. With five teams sitting at 6-2, including the Saints, the Gusties looked to advance a few spots in the MIAC standings and propel themselves into playoff position.
The Gusties looked quite motivated to make that jump up into the top six in the first quarter, taking an 18-6 advantage after the first frame. Peters took over in the first quarter, scoring 11 points including nine of the first 11 en route to an early 13-3 run for the Gusties. Peters shot 4-for-5 in the quarter to lead Gustavus individually, who as a team forced seven turnovers to their three to help take an early lead.
The hot streak for Peters did not end at the sound of the first quarter buzzer, scoring the first 10 points of the quarter for Gustavus to bring her total to 21 points just 12:11 into the MIAC matchup. The run by Peters was in part mirroring the Saints, who made two three pointers as well in the first two minutes of the quarter. Two free throws by sophomore
Olivia Grothaus (Hudson, Wis.) extended the lead to 18 points, the largest it would be in the half. St. Scholastica would respond in the second half of the quarter, going on a 9-2 run of their own to claw back into the game and cut the lead to 11 once again. The last 3:37 would be played evenly, with each team adding six points to their total including two three pointers by Goodman to keep the Saints at an arms length.
Peters finished the half with 21 points and added eight rebounds while Goodman led with four assists. As a team, the Gusties shot 48.3 percent (14-for-29) from the floor and 33 percent (4-for-12) from three, compared to the Saints' 47.4 percent (9-for-19) and 62.5 percent (5-for-8). The Gusties were able to build their lead through a four rebound advantage and most notably eight forced turnovers where they added nine points.
After St. Scholastica held the advantage in the second quarter, 21-20, the halftime break seemed to be just what the Gusties needed. The Saints got out of the gate first, with an early 6-3 run to bring the game within eight, but the Gusties pushed further away from there. With the score at 41-33, the Gusties erupted on a 13-4 run over the last six minutes of the quarter, with Peters lifting the Gusties and grabbing her 29th points of the game. The school record being at 34 points by Mikayla Miller in 2016, Peters was eyeing it and inching closer as the game ticked by, only five points away entering the last frame. The Gusties forced seven more turnovers out of the Saints in the period, including four in four minutes by Goodman. Both teams struggled from behind the arc in the third quarter, shooting a combined 1-for-12, but the Gusties were able to make two more field goals and one more free throw to push their lead back to 54-37 with 10 minutes to go.
Both teams struggled offensively in the fourth quarter, with Peters scoring the only two points of the quarter for the Gusties until the 5:36 mark when sophomore
Bella DeHaan (Lakeville, Minn.) made a turnaround jumper to get the Gusties back to life. Peters got up to 33 points with two free throws and had a chance to break the school record on a layup, but a contested shot hit the rim. This would prove to be the last chance for Peters as the Saints double-teamed her the last few possessions and the Gusties were able to watch the clock wind down and take down St. Scholastica, 61-49.
Gustavus shot worse from the field, going 21-for-56 (37.5 percent), but outrebounded the Saints 31-26, including 10 offensive rebounds which resulted in 14 points. Goodman had another stellar night with nine points, four rebounds, six assists, and six steals, which is the most in the MIAC this season. Peters added 11 rebounds to her 33 points for another double-double and shot 11-for-18 from the field and only left one point off the board at the charity stripe, going 9–for-10.
The Gusties continue the MIAC schedule on Saturday at 1:00 p.m., traveling to Minneapolis to take on Augsburg.
