01/13/07

After limiting the visiting Purple Storm from Crown College to only 12 points in the first half while racing to 38 points themselves, the Saints were able to get minutes and playing time for every player in uniform as they coasted to a 65-32 conference victory at the Reif Center on Saturday afternoon.

Eleven of the 15 players on the bench scored for the Saints led by senior Kim Huschle’s game-high 12 points and freshman Kirsten Haukom’s 11 as the Saints picked up a much-needed UMAC victory, their first conference win this season in three tries.

Sophomore Erin Niles had nine points to score the most of any of the Saints’ bench players, and Niles, Haukom and freshman Alexa Leighton (6 points) each had season highs.

Freshman Jennifer Golobich scored her first points as a collegian in the win for the Saints while fellow first-year player Chelsea Studier saw her first game action of the season after recovering from a pre-season injury.

The Saints, who never trailed in the entire game, held Crown to only 33 percent shooting from the field in the first half as the 12 points they allowed were the lowest total this season for an opponent in any half of action.

For the game, St. Scholastica shot 42 percent from the field and 80 percent from the free throw line, out rebounded the Storm 38 to 27, and forced 30 turnovers while only committing 13 themselves – a season low in a problem area for the Saints.

The win improves St. Scholastica’s season mark to 5-9 overall and betters their UMAC record to 1-2. Crown drops to 3-9 and 0-4 for the year.