After starting the 2015-16 season with a five-game non-conference winning streak, the St. Catherine University basketball team saw its season hit a downhill slide losing its opening two Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) games. Thanks to a dominant night on the boards and limited turnovers, the Wildcats pulled off a solid 59-45 win over Carleton College for their first MIAC victory of the young season Wednesday evening in Northfield, Minnesota.
The Wildcats may not have had the best night converting basketbs – they shot just 33.3 percent from the floor – but they controlled play in nearly every other category to limit the Knights chances. On the boards, the Wildcats held a 41-34 advantage overall and pulled in a remarkable 17 rebounds to tally 13 second-chance points. The Knights pulled in just four offensive boards on the night.
For the first time this season, the Wildcats kept their turnovers under 15 committing just 13 against Carleton. They also forced the Knights into 26 turnovers and scored 18 points on those opportunities.
Though the Wildcats pulled off the victory, the Knights managed to keep the game close for awhile. In the opening quarter, the Wildcats led by as many as six before the Knights mounted a 9-3 run in the final 3:55 to take a 15-13 lead. The second quarter saw the Knights take a seven-point lead with 2:31 remaining before the Wildcats ended with a 5-0 run to make it 26-24 in favor of the Knights at the half.
The Wildcats opened the second half with five quick points, but couldn't pull away as Carleton hung around down just four points after three quarters of play. With a quick 3-pointer to start the final 10 minutes, the Wildcats went up by seven points and never looked back en route to victory.
Audra Clark (Kenyon, Minn./Kenyon-Wanamingo) dominated offensively for the Wildcats tallying a game-high 16 points points. She also claimed a team-best eight rebounds and created havoc for the Knights posting a career-high seven steals. The sophomore also had a team-high three assists and a block to complete her stat line.
Mari Lee (Dawson, Minn./Dawson-Boyd) was extremely efficient for the Wildcats collecting nine points on 50 percent shooting from the field. The junior also picked up five rebounds, one assist and a block.
Kennedy Jennings (Grimes, Iowa/Dallas Center-Grimes) and
LaShay Holt (Minneapolis, Minn./Humboldt) each chipped in eight points and seven rebounds a piece. Jennings continued her dominance at the basket blocking a game-high three shots, while Holt picked up three assists.
Shauna Horsch (Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Simley) added seven points with two 3-pointers made. She also contributed four rebounds, three assists and a block.
For the Knights, Michelle Arima and Sarah Waldfogel each picked up 13 points and four rebounds, while Nnenna Ezem had eight points and a game-high nine rebounds.
With the win, the Wildcats improve to 6-2 on the season and 1-2 in the MIAC. They will close out MIAC play for the remainder of 2015 Saturday as they host reigning MIAC champion No. 6 University of St. Thomas at 3 p.m. in the
Butler Center.
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