Hopefully, HU women's basketball head coach Alex Focke can remember what he told his team at halftime of Saturday's game at St. Benedict. The Pipers went into intermission with a three-point lead at 42-39. They exited the third quarter with a 20 point advantage at 65-45 and went on to overpower the Bennies, 87-58. It was the first HU won over CSB since 2011 and the first time they had won in St. Joseph since 1986. 

The Pipers scored a season high for points by shooting well (55%) and outrebounding the Bennies by a whopping 47-25 margin. HU also led in bench points (31-16) and points in the paint (46-26). Reilly Geistfeld had the season's first double-double with 28 points (tying a career high) and 12 rebounds. She got considerable assistance from Gabby Robinson (14 points), Sarah Loken (11 points, seven rebounds) and Kaeli Stayer, who contributed 10 markers. 

The Pipers started fast. An 11-0 run midway in the first quarter bolted Hamline to a 14-4 lead. CSB responded in turn and led 21-19 at the end of the first 10-minute session. The second session went back and forth. Loken's three-point play in the waning seconds of the half gave HU the lead at the break.

Another break -- this time a 17-0 outburst in a seven minute span in the third quarter blew the game open. Robinson scored eight of those points and Geistfeld added seven. The closest the Bennies got after that was 14 points as HU bettered their 2017-18 win total with their fifth overall triumph of the year against four setbacks. HU is 1-2 in MIAC play.

Hamline plays at Macalester on Wednesday, December 12 at 7:00 p.m. The Pipers close out the 2018 portion of their schedule with a non-conference game against Viterbo on Saturday, December 15 at Hutton Arena. Game time is 5:00 p.m.