Box Score Hamline's women's basketball team put up one of their stiffest defensine efforts of the season Wednesday against St. Benedict. Unfortunately, they ran into an even tougher foe -- overtime -- and dropped a 60-57 decision at Hutton Arena. 

The Pipers clamped down hard on the Blazers, holding them to just 34 per cent shooting for the night and 53 points over the first 40 minutes -- their second best showing of the season. They fought around losing, for various periods of times, starters Chloe Graves and Alex Peterson. HU led the game much of the night and held the Blazers scoreless for the last 3:02 of regulation time to force the extra session.

CSB scored first there but Chelsey Bonsante (pictured), who led all scorers with 20 points, hit four free throws and Hamline led 57-55 with 2:28 to go. (Bonsante continued her climb towards 1,000 career points. She now has 971.) The Blazers, however, scored the next five points to take the final lead. Bonsante gave it one last try but her three-pointer fell just short. 

The Pipers started fast, leading 18-11 after a quarter and 30-27 at halftime. St. Ben's came back in the third quarter to grab a pair of leads. Hamline responded quickly to take a five -point advantage that was shaved to 43-42 by quarter's end. It rocked back and forth in the fourth quarter with six lead changes and three ties. Alex Peterson's layup broke a 51-all tie with 3:52 to push the Pipers ahead only to see CSB tie the game and force the overtime.

In addition to Bonsante (who regained the MIAC scoring lead at 16.7 points per game), Graves scored 12, added six rebounds and came up with a game high three steals; Emily Behrman fired in 10 points and Peterson delivered eight rebounds. But the clock did them in at the end and Hamline fell to 0-4 this season in overtime games. HU is 3-15 overall, 1-10 in the MIAC. 

The Pipers play their next two games on the road. They are at St. Olaf Saturday, January 30. Game time is 3:00 p.m.