ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Morris women's basketball team was defeated, 91-57, by the College of St. Benedict in the CSB Tip-Off Friday night in St. Joseph, Minn. In the loss, 10 different Cougar student-athletes recorded points.
 
"Credit St. Bens for shooting the ball so well," said head coach Tim Grove. "Tough to keep up with a team shooting almost 50 percent from three-point range.  Looking forward to another opportunity tomorrow"
 
Maddy Grove opened the scoring with a two-point jumper after secured a rebound on the other end of the court. After St. Benedict scored the next two buckets, Itzel Salazar scored in the paint to keep the game level. The Bennies began to pull away after scoring six straight points. Brooke Ver Steeg scored her first collegiate basket to end the CSB run. Layups by Shelby Mortenson, Anna Myers, and Savanna Pelzer cut the lead down to one. A nine-point Bennies run pushed their advantage to 10 before Claire Stark got on the board. Salazar closed out the quarter with a free throw to make it 24-15.
 
On the Cougars' first shot of the second quarter, Stark converted on a basket assisted by Grace Perry. Gianna Klarenbeek hit the team's first three-pointer, bringing the St. Benedict lead back to single digits. Points continued to trade down the stretch, and Klarenbeek scored the final points of the half with a layup to make it 40-29 at halftime.
 
The Bennies came out hot in the third quarter, making their first seven shots and five free throws to go up by 27. The Cougars attempted to keep pace with scoring from Grove and Mortenson inside the arc, along with a three-pointer from Perry. Mortenson totaled six points in the third and scored UMM's final bucket of the quarter.
 
Stark opened the fourth-quarter scoring for the Cougars with a layup. Points from Grove, Ver Steeg, and Myers matched the Bennies' pace but could not close the gap. Evie Stockinger knocked down four free throws—her first collegiate points—to cap the scoring as the Cougars fell 91-57.
 
Ten different Cougars scored in the season opener. Grove, Ver Steeg, and Mortenson led UMM with eight points each, while Myers added seven. Perry made two of the team's three three-pointers. Pelzer and Taylor Johnson tallied a team-high two assists.
 
Defensively, Klarenbeek grabbed six rebounds, with Grove and Stark adding four apiece. Pelzer recorded a game-high three steals. Stark and Salazar each added a block.
 
The Cougars close out the CSB Tip-Off tomorrow with a 1 p.m. game against the College of St. Scholastica.