SAINT PAUL, MINN.--The Hamline Univerrsity women's basketball team defeated Saint Mary's (Minn.) 64-38 on Wednesday at Hutton Arena.
The Pipers, who've now won six of their last seven games, improve to 13-5, 8-3 MIAC. The Cardinals fall to 8-9, 6-5 MIAC.
Hamline 64, Saint Mary's (Minn.) 38
In the first quarter, the Pipers established an early lead against the Cardinals, ending the quarter with a 20-5 advantage. Hamline's
Yasmeen Abed was instrumental, contributing multiple 3-pointers, including one at the buzzer to push the lead to 20-5. Throughout the quarter, Hamline capitalized on Saint Mary's turnovers, forcing eight and scoring several fast-break points. The Cardinals struggled offensively, making only one basket and relying on free throws from Brianna Nusbaum to score early in the frame.
In the second quarter, Saint Mary's initially cut into Hamline's lead with Kali Olson scoring early with a layup, making it 20-7 at 9:42. Despite a series of turnovers from both teams,
Anna Rynkiewich of Hamline capitalized with a layup at 8:38, maintaining their advantage at 22-9. A notable sequence occurred when Julia Koch of the Cardinals narrowed the gap to 24-14 with a layup plus a free throw at 1:39. In the closing minutes, Rylie Sternquist hit a 3-pointer for Saint Mary's to make it 26-19, but Hamline's
Camille Cummings responded with a 3-pointer, ending the quarter with a 29-19 lead. The Cardinals outscored Hamline 14-9 in the period, but Hamline maintained their overall advantage.
In the third quarter, Hamline outscored Saint Mary's 20-7, with a strong performance from
Camille Cummings who contributed significantly by scoring multiple baskets and free throws. The frame began with Lindsey Lettner of the Cardinals missing a jumper at 9:33, followed by
Marina LaFreniere's block and
Camille Cummings' defensive rebound. The Pipers capitalized on Saint Mary's turnovers, with
Kate Trachsel scoring a layup at 8:20 and
Yasmeen Abed assisting. Hamline's defense stood firm, forcing several missed shots from the Cardinals, including a missed 3-pointer by Brianna Nusbaum, while
Lauren Cooper and
Evelyn Wiltrout added crucial points in the paint. The quarter concluded with
Lauren Cooper's fast-break layup and subsequent free throws, extending Hamline's lead to 49-26 at the end of the period.
The fourth quarter began with Hamline committing a turnover, followed by a foul by
Marina LaFreniere. The Cardinals' Brianna Nusbaum missed a jumper, but Rylie Sternquist hit a 3-pointer at 8:51 to cut Hamline's lead to 49-29.
Camille Cummings responded with a 3-pointer at 5:18, extending their lead to 54-31. After a series of turnovers and missed shots by both teams,
Anna Rynkiewich scored a layup at 4:00, pushing the Pipers' lead to 58-31. In the closing minutes, the Cardinals made some free throws, but
Taylor Klement's 3-pointer at 0:28 helped Hamline secure the quarter with a 15-12 edge, concluding the game with a 64-38 victory.
Camille Cummings led Hamline with 16 points, hitting 5-of-11 shots and all four free throws. She also contributed defensively with four steals and secured five rebounds.
Lauren Cooper and
Kate Trachsel both made key contributions on defense, each recording two steals. Trachsel also added seven points and four assists.
Yasmeen Abed was effective from beyond the arc, scoring 10 points with two three-pointers and adding two steals.
Marina LaFreniere was a standout on the boards, leading the team with nine rebounds while also tallying six points and two steals.
Rylie Sternquist led the team in scoring with nine points, including three successful 3-pointers. Brianna Nusbaum contributed defensively with three steals and also recorded three assists. Tessa McMahon also made a notable defensive effort with two steals. Kali Olson was a key presence under the basket, securing 11 rebounds to lead the team in that category. Julia Koch added five points, contributing to the team's overall scoring.
The Pipers shot .444 (24-of-54), and held the Cardinals to an opponent season-low .273 (12-of-44) field goal mark.
Hamline will travel to Concordia (Minn.) on Saturday, February 1 for a 1 p.m. game.
