BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – The 2023 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Women's Basketball Playoffs continued on Friday night with two semifinal matchups.
Top-seeded Gustavus cruised to a 97-62 home victory over No. 4 Saint Benedict, while No. 2 Concordia outlasted No. 3 Hamline, 74-67 in the other semifinal matchup. The Gusties and Cobbers will now meet in the 2023 MIAC Women's Basketball Playoff Championship game on Sunday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. in St. Peter.
NO. 1 GUSTAVUS 97, NO. 4 SAINT BENEDICT 62 | Box Score |
Gustavus scored a MIAC Women's Basketball Playoff-record 97 points to clinch a second straight berth in the conference title game, defeating Saint Benedict, 97-62, in St. Peter on Friday night. The previous single-game MIAC Playoff point record was 94, set by Saint Mary's in 2014. Senior guard Anna Sanders scored a game-high 22 points to lead the Gusties' offensive outburst. Emma Kniefel added 17 of her own while shooting 8-for-12 from the field. Saint Benedict long-range shooter Sophia Jonas knocked down a trio of three-point shots to account for nine of her team-best 11 points in the game.
NO. 2 CONCORDIA 74, NO. 3 HAMLINE 67 | Box Score |
Four different Cobbers found themselves in double figures as Concordia held off Hamline, 74-67, to punch its ticket back to the MIAC Playoff Championship game for the first time since 2013. Carlee Sieben led the bunch with a game-high 18 points to go along with seven rebounds - also a game-best. Cobber guard Emily Beseman finished 5-for-7 from the field and 3-for-4 from the three-point line with 15 points to her name. Lydia Lecher scored 16 points to lead the Pipers.
PLAYOFF CHAMPIONSHIP SET FOR SUNDAY
No. 1 Gustavus is now set to host No. 2 Concordia in the MIAC Playoff Championship Game on Sunday, February 26. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. 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.
The Gusties will be making their seventh appearance in the MIAC Playoff Championship and hosting the game for the first time ever. Gustavus won the program's first-ever MIAC Playoff title last season. The Cobbers will be making their sixth championship game appearance and their first since 2013. Concordia previously won playoff titles in 2006 and 2011.
The two squads split their regular season series with each team claiming a win on their own home court. Gustavus holds a 3-2 all-time advantage over Concordia in the MIAC Playoffs, including a win in last year's quarterfinals.
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. 1 Gustavus 97, No. 4 Saint Benedict 62 | Box Score |
No. 2 Concordia 74, No. 3 Hamline 67 | Box Score |
Championship | Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023 | 2:00 p.m. |
No. 2 Concordia at No. 1 Gustavus
GAME TIMES ARE TENTATIVE