SAINT PAUL, MINN.—The No. 3 seed Hamline University women's basketball team embarked on their ninth MIAC Tournament appearance in school history on Tuesday night, when they hosted No. 6 seed Saint Mary's (Minn.) at Hutton Arena. The Pipers defeated the Cardinals 73-61, and will return to the MIAC Semifinal for the first time in two seasons at No. 2 seed Gustavus Adolphus on Thursday, February 27 at 8 p.m.
Hamline improves to 19-7, while the Cardinals end their season 13-12. Their 19th victory ties a school record for most in a season, also achieved in 2021-22. It's also the third MIAC Tournament win in program history.
Hamline 73, Saint Mary's 61
In the first quarter, both teams showed competitive play with multiple lead changes. The Cardinals started off strong with Julia Koch making two free throws at the 9:00 mark. The Pipers responded with Yasmeen Abed scoring a layup at 7:10, which tied the game, and Kate Trachsel later added a 3-pointer to give Hamline a 5-2 lead. The teams traded baskets throughout the quarter, with the Cardinals taking a brief lead following a 3-pointer by Rylie Sternquist at 1:53, making it 14-12. However, the Pipers regained the lead before the end of the quarter, highlighted by a 3-pointer from Josie Wiebusch with 13 seconds left, closing the period at 18-16 in favor of the home team.
The second quarter opened with Camille Cummings of Hamline quickly turning a Saint Mary's turnover into a layup at 9:21, advancing the home team's lead to 20-16. Brianna Nusbaum of Saint Mary's answered back with a 3-pointer at 8:57, followed by a quick layup, helping the visitors take a brief 26-20 lead with 7:43 on the clock. Yasmeen Abed of the Pipers contributed with two free throws at 6:42, narrowing the score gap, while later Camille Cummings' 3-pointer at 3:15 put Hamline ahead 33-30. The quarter concluded with a fast-break layup by Yasmeen Abed at the buzzer, securing a 38-32 advantage for Hamline by halftime.
The third quarter began with Hamline leading, and Marina LaFreniere quickly extended their advantage with a jumper at 9:30, followed by another basket and a free throw at 8:28, increasing the score to 43-32. The Cardinals responded with a series of free throws by Kali Olson at 7:18 and a layup at 6:44, narrowing the gap to 45-36. Yasmeen Abed contributed significantly for Hamline with multiple layups, while Brianna Nusbaum of Saint Mary's executed a steal and layup at 2:56, continuing their push to close the deficit. Despite Saint Mary's efforts, Hamline maintained their lead, finishing the quarter at 53-49, with a last-second layup by Nusbaum reducing the gap to four points.
In the fourth quarter, the Pipers outscored the Cardinals 20-12, securing their lead with effective plays and strong defense. Josie Wiebusch of Hamline contributed significantly, scoring a 3-pointer at 9:02 and a layup at 7:54, while also adding a free throw in the final minute. Marina LaFreniere was pivotal as well, converting a layup at 7:07 and later making two free throws at 0:48 to extend Hamline's lead to 70-61. The Cardinals struggled with shooting consistency, missing several key attempts, including two 3-pointers by Brianna Nusbaum and a layup by Lindsey Lettner, which allowed Hamline to maintain their advantage and secure a 73-61 win.
Yasmeen Abed led the Pipers with 13 points, achieving this by hitting 5-of-9 field goals and adding five assists, making her a key playmaker. Kate Trachsel contributed with 10 points and excelled defensively with two steals. Josie Wiebusch was perfect from the field, scoring 12 points on 4-of-4 shooting, including 3-of-3 from beyond the arc, and also securing two steals.
Hamline shot a season-high .510 (26-of-51) from the field, which included .500 (10-of-20) from beyond the arc. Saint Mary's finished .367 (18-of-49) from the field.
Brianna Nusbaum led the Cardinals with a standout performance, scoring 20 points on seven-of-19 shooting, including one 3-pointer. She also contributed defensively with four steals and added three rebounds. Julia Koch added 13 points with a strong presence beyond the arc, hitting two of her four 3-point attempts, and securing four total rebounds. Rylie Sternquist matched Koch's scoring output with 13 points and led the team in rebounds, collecting eight. Kali Olson was effective at the free-throw line, making all four attempts, and matched Nusbaum's defensive effort with four steals.
