ST. PAUL, MINN. – It's MIAC time!
It's December 1, which means Christmas is just around the corner. However, for the St. Catherine University basketball team, December 1 is more than just the start of the winter. After two weeks of nonconference play, the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) season is finally here, and the Wildcats will host Carleton College in its conference opener on Saturday.
Tip off between St. Kate's and Carleton is slotted for 3 p.m. on Saturday in the
Butler Center Gym. Fans who cannot attend the game in person can follow along online via live stats and video. Score updated can also be found on St. Kate's official Twitter page (@stkateswildcats).
Here are the five things to know before tip off between the Wildcats and Knights:
3 – Last season's game between St. Kate's and Carleton proved to be one of the most exciting games of the season, as the Wildcats beat the Knights 65-62 thanks to 20+ point performances from
Audra Clark (Kenyon, Minn. / Kenyon-Wanamingo) and former star LaShay Holt (Minneapolis, Minn. / Humboldt). Clark scored a then career high 23 points in the game while Holt scored 22, accounting for 45 of St. Kate's 65 points in the game. Carleton also had three student-athletes score in double digits, including returners Cece Leon (16) and Samantha Cook (14).
5 – Either Clark and/or sophomore
Danica Cambrice (St. Paul, Minn. / St. Croix Lutheran) have scored in double-digits in every game this season. One of the two scored at least 20 points in the first four games of the season and either tied or set a new career high in points.
11.3 – Knight forward Anne Hamilton currently ranks second in the MIAC in rebounds per game (11.3) and sixth in overall rebounds (45). Hamilton has 30 defense rebounds alone, which is more than the total rebounds by any other Carleton player.
4 – Four different Wildcats pulled in five rebounds in St. Kate's 66-41 win over Northland on Tuesday. Clark,
Alexis Garcia (Minnetonka, Minn. / Hopkins),
Jackie Radford (St. Paul, Minn. / Cretin-Derham Hall) and
Brooke Torvik (Rice, Minn. / Sauk Rapids-Rice) each pulled in five rebounds in the win over the Lumber Jills. Radford currently leads the team with 35 total rebounds this season, 26 of which have been on the defensive end of the court.
1st, 3rd – The Wildcats have been one of the highest scoring offenses in the MIAC this season, but they are especially good at scoring in the first and third quarter. St. Kate's has outscored its opponents 89-61 in the first quarter 84-69 in the third quarter of games this season.
