The St. Catherine University basketball team was off to one of its best starts in recent years and hoped to pick up one last non-conference win before opening up the conference season next. Thanks to its best shooting and rebounding performances of the season, the Wildcats cruised to an 83-52 victory over North Central University Tuesday evening in Minneapolis. 

The Wildcats shot 43 percent from the field for their top team performance of the season offensively, while matching their rebounding number from the first game of the season with 50 total boards – the third-most in a single game in program history. Even more impressive, the Wildcats showed their strength at setting up play with a program-record 28 assists as a team. The previous school record was 21 assists set against Cal Tech in 2006. 

In the opening minute of play, senior Mary Neumann (Duluth, Minn./Hermantown) knocked down five points to give the Wildcats a lead they would never surrender. The Wildcats took a 48-22 lead into the half thanks to a spectacular 56.8 shooting percentage from the field and 40 percent from beyond the arc. In the second half, the Wildcats eventually took a 37-point lead with 10:47 remaining before picking up their fourth win of the young season. 

Not only has the Wildcat team been off to a hot start this season, but sophomore Mari Lee (Dawson, Minn./Dawson-Boyd) has proven she will be a critical part of the Wildcat offense heading into conference play. Lee went 6-for-6 form the field for a team-high and career-best 13 points. She also collected four rebounds and assist in her best individual performance of the year. 

LaShay Holt (Minneapolis, Minn./Humboldt) also had another solid performance with eight points and four rebounds. She also turned in a game- and career-best six assists as well as a career-best three blocks. Sarah Manning (Page, Ariz./Page) and Kennedy Jennings (Des Moines, Iowa/Dallas Center-Grimes) each had season-high eight-point performances with Jennings pulling in a team-best eight boards. 

Neumann finished the game with seven points and four rebounds, while Shauna Horsch (Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Simley) and Meg Clark (Kenyon, Minn./Kenyon-Wanamingo) each collected nine points. Horsch again had a complete stat line with four rebounds, two assists, a block and a steal. Emily Neumann (Duluth, Minn./Hermantown) chipped in as the playmaker Tuesday night with a game-high six assists. 

For the Rams, Jamie High had a game-high 18 points and eight rebounds, while Shelby Norman had 15 points, three assists and two steals. 

With the win, the Wildcats' 4-1 start is the best for the program since 2008-09 when they opened the season 5-0 and finished 15-10 overall. The Wildcats four wins matches their total for wins last season and is the highest total for a Wildcat team since 2010-11 when the squad captured six victories. 

The Wildcats open up Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) play against Bethel University Wednesday, Dec. 3. The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. in the Butler Center in St. Paul. 

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