NORTHFIELD, MINN. – It's very rare for a basketball player to say they were near perfect.

For St. Catherine University's Audra Clark (Keyon, Minn. / Kenyon-Wanamingo) that was just another Saturday.

Clark was near perfect from the floor in St. Kate's basketball game Saturday afternoon against St. Olaf College. The junior missed just one shot in Northfield, a free throw in the third quarter, and went 8-8 from the floor and 2-2 from the arc. More important, Clark helped the Wildcats get back on the winning track in Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) play, as St. Kate's went on to beat St. Olaf 83-39.

The Wildcats did not waste any time getting into a groove both offensively and defensively in the opening quarter. St. Kate's full court press dominated the Ole offense, forcing five turnovers in the first quarter alone. The Wildcats were just as hot offensively, as they jumped out to a 15-4 lead in the opening five minutes, allowing them to end the first with a 22-12 lead.

The good times continued to roll for St. Kate's in the second quarter, as the team continued to extend its lead again with key shooting and strong defensive play. Whenever St. Olaf tried to cut into the Wildcat lead, someone was there push it back to double-digits. In fact, St. Kate's shot 58% from the field in the first and second quarters, and, more impressively, the team was perfect from beyond the arc, going 4-4 from the three point line in the first half. On the flip side, the Wildcat defense put together one of their best defensive halves of the season, holding the Oles to 34.5% shooting from the floor and 8.3% from the three-point line.

Clark was, literally, perfect for St. Kate's in the first half. The junior guard was 4-4 from the floor and 1-1 from beyond the arc, which helped her lead the team with 13 points at the half. LaShay Holt (Minneapolis, Minn. / Humboldt) was just as impressive, scoring 12 points, including a last-second three pointer that gave the Wildcats a 38-23 lead at the half.

St. Kate's only continued to extend its lead in the third quarter, again thanks to impressive play on both ends of the floor. Clark and Holt weren't the only two Wildcats to get in on the scoring barrage either. Seniors Mari Lee (Dawson, Minn. / Dawson-Boyd) and Kennedy Jennings (Grimes, Iowa / Dallas Center-Grimes) and newcomer Kanani Asuncion (Rochester, Minn. / Century) were all perfect from the floor in the third quarter, which helped St. Kate's take a 63-32 lead with one quarter remaining.

The fourth quarter would prove to be just as good as the previous three. The Wildcats defense surrendered just nine points to the Oles while scoring 20 points of their own on offense, resulting in the 83-39 victory.

Clark's near perfect performance resulted in a team-leading 25 points, a new career high for the junior. Holt added 19 of her own and led the team with seven rebounds.

With the win, St. Kate's overall record improves to 11-7 and the team is back to .500 in MIAC play with a 5-5 record. The Wildcats will return to the court on Wednesday, when they host the College of Saint Benedict at 7 p.m. in the Butler Center Gym.