St. Paul, Minn. – The Macalester College women's basketball team played their ninth game of the season this afternoon in a conference matchup against Saint Benedict. The Scots defeated the Bennies 62-57. The Scots are now 5-4 (3-3 MIAC).
 
The Scots got off to a slow start as the Bennies went up 7-0 in the first five and a half minutes of the game. Junior forward Emma LaFrenz (Edina, Minn./Edina) put the Scots on the board with a layup. A pair of free throws saw the Bennies back up by seven. A pair of free throws from first year guard/forward Katherine Norquist (Chicago, Ill./Walter Payton College Prep) and a jumper by junior guard Solana Cushing (Minneapolis, Minn./South) at the end of the quarter brought the Scots within four, 11-7, at the end of 10 minutes.
 
The second quarter saw Macalester register a 10-4 run, starting with a layup from LaFrenz. First year guard/forward Peyton Starks (St. Louis, MO./John Burroughs School) would add four to that 10-4 run to give the Scots the lead, 17-15, with 4:31 on the clock. The Bennies and Scots went back-and-forth on scoring. An and-one play for Starks pushed the Scots above the Bennies to take a 22-21 lead into halftime.
 
After the Bennies tallied four points to start the half, Cushing, Norquist, and senior guard Celine Sabbagh (Eau Claire, Wis./Regis) each registered two points to put the Scots up three. With 4:48 on the clock, the Scots went on another run, this time 10-2, to lead 38-27, going into the final 10 minutes. LaFrenz and Starks each picked up four, while Sabbagh added two.
 
The fourth quarter was a battle. Each team made plays to put points up on the board. With 7:11 on the clock, the Scots went on an 8-2 run ended with an and-one play from sophomore guard Andrea Palmen (Kenosha, Wis./The Prairie School), taking the lead 48-40. The Bennies would put the game to within four points with just over four minutes of play, but the Scots' determination and defensive efforts allowed them to be victorious over Saint Benedict, 62-57. This is the first time since 2012 that the Scots have beaten Bennies.
 
The offense was led by Starks with 15 points. Three other Scots tallied 10 points, including Sabbagh and Cushing. LaFrenz would earn her second double-double of the season, with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Macalester registered an 80.8 free throw percentage.
 
Macalester's next game is Wednesday, Jan 22, 2022. The Scots will open the new year in the Leonard Center, taking on Carleton. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m.