NORTHFIELD, MINN.--The Hamline University women's basketball team forced a season-best 27 turnovers en route to a 55-43Â road victory over St. Olaf Wednesday night.
The Pipers eclipse the double-digit win threshold to improve to 10-4, 5-2 MIAC, while the Oles fall to 6-8, 0-7 MIAC.
Hamline 55, St. Olaf 43
In the first quarter, both teams exchanged leads multiple times, ending with the Pipers holding a narrow 12-10 advantage. The game began with a series of turnovers, including Chloee Smith and Sophia Kormann committing early turnovers that were capitalized on by Hamline with steals.
Yasmeen Abed and
Lauren Cooper contributed key points for the Pipers, with Cooper hitting a 3-pointer at 5:41 to give Hamline a 7-5 lead. St. Olaf's Grace Gertner responded with a 3-pointer at 3:02, but Hamline's
Kate Van Helden closed the quarter with a layup to secure the 12-10 lead. Both teams showed strong defensive efforts, with Hamline recording five steals and St. Olaf committing five turnovers during the frame.
In the second quarter, Hamline outscored St. Olaf 18-5, with a strong defensive performance that included nine steals.
Marina LaFreniere and
Yasmeen Abed led the Pipers' scoring with multiple layups, contributing to a 12-point run. The Oles struggled with turnovers, committing 10 in the period, which were capitalized on by the Pipers for fast-break points. St. Olaf's only basket during the quarter came from Chloee Smith, who also contributed defensively with rebounds, but their efforts were not enough to close the gap as Hamline found themselves with a 30-15 halftime lead.
The third quarter saw both teams score 18 points a piece. Early in the frame, St. Olaf's Bree Wilkerson assisted Sarah Tangen on a 3-pointer at the 9:33 mark that narrowed the margin to 30-18. A significant streak for Hamline began with
Yasmeen Abed's layup followed by a free throw, pushing the lead to 33-25 with 5:33 on the clock.
Camille Cummings later extended Hamline's lead with a 3-pointer at the 4:13 mark, assisted by
Aliyah Wensel, bringing the score to 36-25. St. Olaf's Chloee Smith responded with her own 3-pointer at 3:54, but Hamline maintained their lead, closing the quarter with a 3-pointer by
Aliyah Wensel to make it 48-31 with 35 seconds left.
In the fourth quarter, Hamline struggled with turnovers, committing 11, which contributed to St. Olaf's scoring opportunities.
Yasmeen Abed and
Kate Van Helden fouled early in the quarter, with Van Helden rebounding a missed free throw at 8:53. St. Olaf's Sarah Tangen converted a free throw at 7:35, but shortly after, a technical foul gave
Camille Cummings a chance from the line, where she added to Hamline's lead by making the score 49-35 with 7:35 remaining.
Lauren Cooper's 3-pointer at 4:21 extended Hamline's edge to 52-37, although St. Olaf's late scoring, including Sophia Kormann's free throws, brought the final score to 55-43.
Lauren Cooper led Hamline with three successful 3-pointers and added two steals, showcasing her capability beyond the arc.
Yasmeen Abed was the leading scorer with 14 points, contributing one block and three steals, highlighting her defensive prowess.
Camille Cummings made a significant impact at the free-throw line, converting seven-of-ten attempts, and matched the team-high with four steals.
Kate Trachsel was notable on defense, leading the team with four steals.
Marina LaFreniere also contributed to the defensive effort with two steals and added six points. Despite committing a season-high 20 turnovers, the Pipers managed 21 steals that led to 27 Ole turnovers.
Chloee Smith led the Oles with a standout performance, scoring ten points and securing nine rebounds. She also contributed defensively with four steals, tying for the team lead in that category. Grace Gertner was another key player, recording three steals, which was highlighted as a significant statistic in her performance. Sophia Kormann was a force on the boards, leading the team with eleven total rebounds, while also adding ten points to her tally. Lastly, Sarah Tangen showed her shooting range by hitting two 3-pointers and finishing with nine points, along with two steals.
The Pipers will host St. Catherine at Hutton Arena on Saturday, January 18 at 3 p.m.
