Box Score
Coming off a tough road loss to Saint Mary's University Saturday, the St. Catherine University basketball team hoped to get back on track early in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic conference (MIAC) season against Macalester College.
 
The Wildcats used a late-game comeback to pull within five points of the Scots, but fell just short of their first MIAC victory in a heartbreaking 50-45 loss Monday evening at the Butler Center.
 
First-year Paige Marquez (Sugarland, Texas) came off the bench to fuel a second-half Wildcat run and led the Wildcats in scoring with 12 points.
 
Early in the first half, the Wildcats appeared to be in complete control of the game after jumping out to a 9-2 lead over the Scots through the first six minutes of the half.
 
Despite the Wildcats' best efforts to hold the lead, the Scots managed to use a 15-2 run to end the half with an eight-point lead at 24-16.
 
The Scots appeared to be in total control as they opened up the second half with a quick two points. However, Marquez took matters into her own hands as she scored six-straight points to pull the Wildcats within four.
 
After back and forth play for most of the second half, the Wildcats were looking at a 12 point deficit with just 2:38 left in the game.
 
Sarina Baker (Plymouth, Minn.) scored six points in the game's final minutes to give the Wildcats a fighting chance, but they couldn't find a way to close out the game and recorded their third-straight MIAC loss.
 
The Wildcats received strong performances from several players, including Baker who finished with eight points, four rebounds and two steals.
 
The leading Wildcat scorer so far this season, Sarah Mong (Page, Ariz), finished the night with 10 points and just one turnover. She also had eight rebounds and a team-leading four assists.
 
Sophomore Jenna Mistler (Austin, Texas) pulled in a team-best nine boards and led the Wildcats in steals (3), while Kristen Lee (Dawson, Minn.) continued her strong perimeter play as she sunk the team's only two 3-point shots.
 
With the loss, the Wildcats move to 1-4 on the season and 0-3 in MIAC. They will take just one day off before returning to action as they travel south to take on St. Olaf College, Wednesday in Northfield, Minn. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
 
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