Northfield, Minn. – The Macalester College women's basketball team played in the first round of the MIAC Playoffs this afternoon. The Scots started strong, but the Knights came back in the second half and ended the Scots' season, 56-48. The Scots end the season with a record of 8-18 (6-16 MIAC).
After going down 10-3 in the first seven minutes of the quarter, the Scots came back with crucial three from senior guard
Celine Sabbagh (Eau Claire, Wis./Regis) assisted by sophomore guard
Maia Pedrosa (South San Francisco, Calif./Urban School of San Francisco). Junior guard
Solana Cushing (Minneapolis, Minn./South) drained a three for herself and junior forward
Emma LaFrenz (Edina, Minn./Edina) would make a layup at the end of the quarter. The Scots came back to overtake the Knights 11-10.
The Scots would start the second quarter on a 7-2 run, started with another three-pointer from Cushing, going up 18-12 with 7:42 on the clock. The Knights would not go down without a fight and registered a 9-6 run, to put the Knights within one, 22-21. First year guard/forward
Katherine Norquist (Chicago, Ill./Walter Payton College Prep) would make a free throw and another crucial three from Sabbagh would take the Scots into the break with the lead 26-23.
The first four minutes of the second half was a back-and-forth battle, seeing the lead change three times before first year guard forward
Peyton Starks (St. Louis, MO./John Burroughs School) made a basket to tie the game at 31. However, the Knights would go on an 8-2 run to end the quarter 39-33 ahead of the Scots.
The Scots continued to push in the fourth, going on a 7-3 run, to come within two, 42-40 with 3:26 remaining. Cushing drained a three at the end of the run. Cushing would make another three in the afternoon while sophomore guard
Caitlin Panos (North Andover, Mass./North Andover) put up her own three, but the Scots would fall 56-48, ending the 2021-2022 season.
Sabbagh led the team with 15 points followed closely by Cushing with 14. LaFrenz would total 10 rebounds, followed by Norquist with 9. The Scots had a 44.4% free throw percentage.
This was the final game for senior guard, Sabbagh, who contributed 381 points this season, the most on the team.
