Schmidt, Tauer Carry Blazers

02/16/2008

The College of Saint Benedict basketball team (17-3 MIAC, 19-4 overall) defeated the Hamline Pipers 82-64. In a 40-minute game of tug-o-war, it was CSB that pulled the hardest and most frequently. Both teams continuously pushed back and forth with short, intense spurts of offense. But, it was the Blazers that made the biggest impact when it was their turn to take over. Leading the charge for CSB were sophomore wing Mindy Schmidt (Brooklyn Park, Minn./Champlin Park High School) and junior forward Ariel Tauer (Edina, Minn./Edina High School). Schmidt scored a game-high 21 points, including 6-for-6 free throws. Tauer dominated from inside as she shot 8 of 10 from the field on her way to a career-high 20 points.

The Pipers began with a three-pointer from the corner less than 10 seconds into the game.  It was apparent that Hamline wanted a high speed game with lots of good shots. And that is exactly what it got. After seven minutes of play the Blazer led 16-15. At that point, CSB went on its first run of the game. The 15-4 streak over six minutes left the Blazers with a 30-20 advantage. The Pipers slowed down CSB and responded quickly. At halftime, the score was 36-30.

The second half began the exact same way as the first half: Hamline drained a three-pointer on their first shot just seconds in. For the first minute and a half, the Pipers stayed within two points of CSB. Then the Blazers knew it was time to start another run. This one spanned nearly four minutes and a 12-4 advantage, which left CSB up 51-41. Hamline pulled closer, only to be shocked by another CSB surge. Only two minutes after their previous run, the Blazers began a 13-2 streak with 13:02 and finished it with 7:37 left in the game and a 65-49 score. That run was nearly all Tauer, as she continued to penetrate and personally scored six unanswered points in 75 seconds.

With 4:31 left, the Pipers had again pulled within range of a comeback. CSB decided it was time for one last run before the game ended. This final surge, an 11-1 run, covered three minutes and gave the Blazers a 78-59 lead that was easily sustained. Part of the Blazers success was due to their ability to get good looks at the basket. CSB shot 54.9 percent from the field for the game, and 50 percent from three-point range in the first half. Schmidt and Tauer also deserve credit for their energy and influence on both ends of the floor. First-year post Danielle Frank (Caledonia, Minn./Caledonia High School) chipped in a solid performance of nine points, nine rebounds and seven blocked shots.

The Blazers are next in action when they take on St. Catherine at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 20 at home in Claire Lynch Hall.

Stats | Basketball | CSB Sports

Peter Banick, CSB Athletic Media Relations Student Assistant

Athletic Department
College of Saint Benedict
37 South College Avenue
St. Joseph, MN 56374
320-363-5301
Fax 320-363-6098