DULUTH, Minn. – In a back-and-forth affair, the Macalester College women's basketball team suffered a narrow defeat on the road, losing 51-50 to the College of St. Scholastica in a MIAC game Saturday afternoon at Reif Gym. The Scots are now 7-4 overall and 2-2 in conference play, while the Saints improve to 6-5 on the season and 3-1 in the MIAC.
Trailing 49-44 with 1:36 remaining in the game, Macalester battled back, getting a basket from senior guard
Peyton Starks (St. Louis, Mo./John Burroughs School) then forcing a turnover that resulted in two free throws by senior forward
Katherine Norquist (Chicago, Ill./Walter Payton College Prep) to make the score 49-48 with 35 seconds left. On the next possession, Norquist stole the ball and drove for a layup that put the Scots on top, 50-49 with 14 seconds remaining. With time winding down, Kloey Lind made a driving layup with eight seconds on the clock for a 51-50 Saints' lead. After a timeout, Macalester attempted a three-pointer from the left side that bounced off the rim and deflected out of play with 1.4 seconds left. St. Scholastica was able to inbound the ball and run out the clock for the win.
The Scots opened the game by outscoring the Saints 15-11 in the first quarter, with Starks registering a team-best seven points. In the second quarter St. Scholastica reeled off a 12-5 run over the final nine minutes to take a 25-22 advantage at halftime. The Saints shot 45.8 percent from the field in the first half compared to 28.6 percent for Macalester.
Midway through the third quarter, baskets by senior guard
Nicole Norton (Brussels, Wis./Southern Door) and Starks tied the score at 28-28. The hosts quickly regained the lead with a 10-2 run for their biggest lead of the game, 38-30 with 2:17 on the clock. Not to be outdone, the Scots bounced back with baskets by Norton and sophomore guard
Mary Daley (Cumberland, R.I./Bishop Feehan), plus two free throws by Starks to make the score 38-36 Saints at the end of the third.
Two-and-a-half minutes into the final quarter, Starks converts a conventional three-point play for a 39-38 Macalester lead. After St. Scholastica pushed its lead back up to five, another and-one by Starks makes it a two-point game, 46-44 at the three-minute mark. Jackie Johnson makes a three for the Saints and a 49-44 lead, setting up the exciting finish.
The Scots scored 22 points off of 24 St. Scholastica turnovers for the game but were unable to make a three-pointer in five attempts compared to five threes by the Saints. Starks registered 25 points, five rebounds, four steals and two assists while shooting 10-of-22 from the floor to lead Macalester. Norquist contributed seven points and a team-best nine rebounds, while Norton, Daley and sophomore guard
Sydnee Smith (Gainesville, Va./Patriot) each had six points. Smith also had three steals, as the Scots swiped 14 steals for the game. Lind led St. Scholastica with 18 points.
Macalester continues MIAC play on Wednesday, Jan. 8 against No. 7 Gustavus. The MIAC game starts at 7:30 p.m. in the Leonard Center.