ST. PAUL, Minn.---The St. Catherine University basketball team finally snapped its Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) skid Saturday with an impressive fourth-quarter performance against Hamline University. Wednesday evening, the Wildcats looked to be back on par with their early-season success as they cruised to a solid 70-44 win over Carleton College int he
Butler Center to sweep the season series.
The Wildcats finally found their shooting touch with a 41.3 percent night fromt he field and went 16-of-18 from the charity stripe. They also held a 26-28 advantage on the boards with 13 offensive rebounds and dominated in the paint with 40 points and scored 24 points off of the Knights' 25 turnovers. Offensively, the Wildcats showed great control posting just 10 total turnovers – their lowest total of the season.
The game didn't start off in favor of the Wildcats as Carleton captured six points in the opening two minutes and help the Wildcats scoreless on their first four possessions. The Wildcats answered immediately, though, with a 9-0 to take a three-point lead before closing the opening quarter with a 18-10 lead.
In the second quarter, the Wildcats continued to build their lead into double-digits before taking a 39-19 lead at halftime and pulling away over the final 20 minutes for their second win in a row and ninth of the season to move back above .500.
Junior star
LaShay Holt (Minneapolis, Minn./Humboldt) turned in one of her best performances of the season across the board with a 19-point, 10-rebound double-double – the 20th of her collegiate career. The All-MIAC pick was an impressive 7-of-9 from the field and 5-of-6 from the line. Holt also claimed five of the Wildcats' 16 steals – their highest team total against a MIAC opponent this season.
Audra Clark (Kenyon, Minn./Kenyon-Wanamingo) continued to be solid for the Wildcats scoring 15 points. She also led the team with six assists and added four rebounds and two steals.
Meg Clark (
Kenyon, Minn./Kenyon-Wanamingo) and Shauna Horsch (Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Simley) each tallied eight points, while Mari Lee (Dawson, Minn./Dawson-Boyd) and Kennedy Jennings (Grimes, Iowa/Dallas Center-Grimes) chipped in six a piece. Horsch seven rebounds and two steals to add to her stat line. Jennings also matched Holt's five steals, while Lee led the team with two blocks and picked up three assists.
Leading the way for the Knights was Kayla Frank who had 10 points. Nnenna Ezem added nine points and a team-high five rebounds.
With the win, the WIldcats move to 9-8 overall this season and 4-7 in the MIAC. The Wildcats will look to upset the University of St. Thomas again Saturday on the road at 3 p.m. in St. Paul. Wildcat Basketball on TwitterWildcat Basketball on FacebookWildcats on InstagramWildcats on TwitterWildcats on Facebook