BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – The 2023 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Women's Basketball Playoffs tipped off on Tuesday night with a pair of quarterfinal contests. Both high seeds successfully defended their home courts, as No. 3 Hamline defeated No. 5 St. Olaf, 76-64, and No. 4 Saint Benedict topped No. 5 Bethel, 73-55.
The Pipers and Bennies will now advance on to Friday's semifinal round. Hamline will head to Moorhead for the second time in less than a week to match up with the No. 2 seed Concordia Cobbers while Saint Benedict will matchup with regular season champion and No. 1 seed Gustavus in St. Peter. Both games are slated for 7:00 p.m. tip-offs on Friday night.
NO. 3 HAMLINE 76, NO. 5 ST. OLAF 64 | Box Score |
Hamline is headed to the MIAC Semifinals for the second time in as many seasons after defeating St. Olaf, 76-64, at home on Tuesday night. Piper forward Lydia Lecher scored a game-high 15 points while shooting 6-for-8 from the floor and connecting on three of her five three-point tries. Chan'el Anderson-Manning added 13 points and a game-best six assists in the win. St. Olaf forward Rachel Kelly posted 13 points and 10 rebounds for the Oles.
NO. 4 SAINT BENEDICT 73, NO. 5 BETHEL 55 | Box Score |
Saint Benedict punched its ticket to the MIAC Semifinals for the first time since 2018 with a 73-55 victory over Bethel on Tuesday. The Bennies were led by Carla Meyer, who scored a game-high 27 points on 11-of-15 shooting. Meyer also had a team-best seven assists in the win. Sophia Jonas tallied 18 points - 12 of which came by way of the three-point ball. Anna Garfield narrowly missed a double-double for the Royals with 13 points and nine boards in the loss.
SEMIFINALS SET FOR FRIDAY
The 2023 MIAC Women's Basketball Playoffs will continue with two semifinal contests on Friday, February 24.
No. 4 Saint Benedict at No. 1 Gustavus | 7:00 PM |
Gustavus swept the regular season series and holds a 4-2 advantage all-time versus Saint Benedict in the MIAC Playoffs. The two programs last met in the 2019 quarterfinals when the Gusties cruised to an upset victory as a No. 5 seed over the No. 4 Bennies.
No. 3 Hamline at No. 2 Concordia | 7:00 PM |
Concordia took the regular season series 2-0, including a 10-point win in the regular season finale last Saturday. This will be the first-ever MIAC Playoff meeting between the two programs.
The two semifinal winners will meet in the MIAC Women's Basketball Playoff Championship Game, which is set for 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, February 26 on the home court of the highest remaining seed. The MIAC Playoff champion will receive the postseason championship plaque and the conference's automatic bid to the 2023 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament.
2023 MIAC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
Quarterfinals | Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023
No. 3 Hamline 76, No. 6 St. Olaf 64 | Box Score |
No. 4 Saint Benedict 73, No. 5 Bethel 55 | Box Score |
Semifinals | Friday, Feb. 24, 2023 | 7:00 p.m. |
No. 4 Saint Benedict at No. 1 Gustavus
No. 3 Hamline at No. 2 Concordia
Championship | Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023 | 2:00 p.m. |
Highest remaining seed will host
GAME TIMES ARE TENTATIVE