St. Olaf Women’s Basketball Falls to Saint Ben’s in MIAC Opener

In a closely contested match, the St. Olaf College women’s basketball team faced the College of Saint Benedict in their Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) opener. St. Olaf led after three quarters but couldn’t hold off a late push by Saint Ben’s, falling 59-53.

The game took place at Skoglund Center and really showed the resilience and grit of both teams. The Oles actually outshot their opponents from the field, but turnovers and some clutch free-throw shooting by the Bennies made the difference.

Game Overview: A Tale of Two Halves

Both teams struggled to find their rhythm early on. In a low-scoring first quarter, Saint Ben’s edged out a 12-8 lead.

The Oles managed just two field goals in the opening period, thanks to intense defense on both sides. It felt like neither team could get comfortable offensively.

First Half: Defensive Battle

The game started with tough defense and plenty of missed chances. Saint Ben’s jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead, but St. Olaf answered with some gritty defense, slowing their opponents’ scoring.

Elise Hahn, last week’s MIAC Defensive Player of the Week, played a big role in keeping things close. She scored four points early in the second quarter, tying the game at 14-14.

Saint Ben’s responded with a 5-0 run to retake the lead. The Oles briefly went ahead late in the second quarter after a fastbreak layup by Hallie Koltz.

But Lauren Arnold hit three free throws, giving the visitors a 26-23 halftime advantage. It was anyone’s game at the break.

Third Quarter: St. Olaf Takes the Lead

St. Olaf came out strong in the third quarter, led by first-year player Erin Schauer. She scored 10 of her 11 points in this period, including two big three-pointers.

Her efforts sparked a 16-4 run, and suddenly the Oles held their biggest lead of the night at 41-35. They outscored Saint Ben’s 20-14 in the quarter and took a 43-40 lead into the last period.

Fourth Quarter: Turnovers Prove Costly

The Oles struggled to keep their momentum in the fourth quarter. Saint Ben’s amped up the defensive pressure, forcing nine turnovers in the final 10 minutes.

The Bennies turned those mistakes into a 10-0 advantage in points off turnovers. That’s a tough mountain to climb in the closing minutes.

Clutch Performances

Junior Bree Wilkerson nailed a crucial three-pointer with under two minutes left, cutting a five-point deficit to two. But Saint Ben’s answered with two defensive stops and some ice-cold free throws from Lauren Arnold.

Arnold finished 11-of-12 from the line, most of them in the final minute. Megan Morgan chipped in too, leading all scorers with 18 points and grabbing eight rebounds.

Key Players and Stats

Several players stood out in this game:

• Elise Hahn: Her second double-double in three games—13 points and 14 rebounds.
• Erin Schauer: Tallied 11 points, including two threes in the third quarter.
• Hallie Koltz: Added 10 points, helping fuel that third-quarter run.
• Megan Morgan: Led Saint Ben’s with 18 points and eight boards.
• Lauren Arnold: Scored 15, including 11-of-12 from the stripe.

Shooting Percentages

St. Olaf actually shot better, hitting 41.7 percent (20-for-48) compared to Saint Ben’s 28.6 percent (18-for-63). But those 21 turnovers hurt—the Bennies converted them into 22 points, and that pretty much told the story.

Looking Ahead

The Oles will try to bounce back when they host Central College on Saturday, Nov. 22, with a 1 p.m. tip-off. It’s a chance to regroup and fix some of the issues that cropped up in their MIAC opener.

For more details on the game and upcoming fixtures, check out the official St. Olaf Athletics website.

Final Thoughts

The loss to Saint Ben’s stings, but watching Elise Hahn and Erin Schauer step up gives the Oles something to build on. Outshooting their opponents and fighting until the last second shows real grit.