ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Macalester College women's basketball team were within five points with eight minutes to play against No. 3 St. Thomas, but the Tommies held on for a 74-53 MIAC victory Wednesday night in the Leonard Center. The Scots fall to 1-7 overall and 0-3 in the conference with the loss, while St. Thomas remains unbeaten at 6-0, 3-0 MIAC.

After spotting the Tommies a 17-6 lead after one quarter, Macalester scored the first four points of the second quarter on a pair of free throws by junior guard Luci Swift (Minnetonka, Minn./Hopkins) and a basket from first year forward Emma LaFrenz (Edina, Minn./Edina). St. Thomas extended the lead to as many as 16 points before first year guard Solana Cushing (Minneapolis, Minn./South) hit a jumper at the buzzer to make the halftime score 36-22 Tommies. The Scots shot just 27.6 percent in the first half but were tough on the glass, grabbing 13 offensive rebounds and building a 22-15 rebounding advantage over the first 20 minutes of the game.

A pair of threes from junior guard Justine Barraza (Burbank, Calif./Harvard-Westlake) helped Macalester cut the deficit to nine, 39-30 early in the third quarter. St. Thomas responded by going on a 13-5 run to lead 52-35 with 2:14 left in the quarter.

Over the remainder of the third quarter and the first two minutes of the fourth, the Scots would give the Tommies all the third-ranked team in the nation could handle, reeling off a 14-2 spree to pull to within five, 54-49 with just under eight minutes to play. Barraza scored nine points to end the third, including a four-point play, and sophomore guard Celine Sabbagh (Eau Claire, Wis./Regis) tallied the first five points in the fourth. But St. Thomas showed why they are one of the top teams in Division III, answering with an 18-2 run over the next six minutes for a 72-51 bulge. The Scots went 1-of-6 from the field, compared to 6-of-11 for the Tommies, and turned the ball over four times during the key run.

Macalester still outrebounded its taller opponents, 39-32 for the game and had 18 offensive rebounds. LaFrenz was the top rebounder with 11, including eight on the offensive glass, to go with six points and two steals. Barraza led all scorers with 26 points while making five three-pointers. Sabbagh finished with 10 points and five rebounds, while Swift registered six points and six boards. Macy Hatlestad paced St. Thomas with 22 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter, and nine rebounds.

The Scots continue MIAC play on Saturday, Dec. 7 with a home game against Bethel. Game time is set for 3:00 p.m. in the Leonard Center.