BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – The 2024 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Women's Basketball Playoffs tipped off on Tuesday night with a pair of quarterfinal contests. No. 5 Saint Benedict held off No. 4 Bethel for a 72-69 victory on the road, while No. 3 St. Catherine outlasted No. 6 Hamline, 70-65, in a double-overtime epic.

The Wildcats will now hit the road to take on No. 2 Concordia while No. 5 Saint Benedict will travel to top-seeded Gustavus. Both games are slated for 7:00 p.m. tip-offs on Thursday night.

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NO. 3 ST. CATHERINE 70, NO. 6 HAMLINE 65 (2OT) | Box Score |
In a historic night at Butler Center, St. Catherine made its first-ever home playoff game a memorable one, prevailing over Hamline, 70-65, in the first-ever double-overtime game in MIAC Women's Basketball Playoff history. First-year guard Hattie Fox scored eight of her team-leading 16 points in the overtime periods, including a pair of clutch three-point shots along with the final two free throws of the contest. Fox was 8-for-10 from the charity stripe in the win. St. Catherine post Emme Golembieswski turned in a 10-point, 14-rebound double-double, while Hamline forward Lydia Lecher led all scorers with 21 points in the game.

NO. 5 SAINT BENEDICT 72, NO. 4 BETHEL 69 | Box Score |
A 45-point second half propelled No. 5 Saint Benedict past No. 4 Bethel and back into the MIAC Women's Basketball semifinals for the third consecutive season with a 72-69 road win on Tuesday night. Carla Meyer led the Bennies with 22 points while shooting 81.8 percent (9-for-11) from the field in the game. Meyer was 2-for-2 from the free throw line, knocking down both attempts with 22 seconds to play. Teammate Megan Morgan went on to make four free throws in the final eight seconds of regulation to keep the CSB on top for good. Bethel forward Elly Schmitz led all scorers with 25 points in the game.

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SEMIFINALS SET FOR THURSDAY
The 2024 MIAC Women's Basketball Playoffs will continue with two semifinal contests on Thursday, February 22.

No. 5 Saint Benedict at No. 1 Gustavus | 7:00 PM |
Saint Benedict will now head to St. Peter on Thursday for a meeting with the No. 1 seeded Gusties for the second year in a row. Gustavus is 5-2 all-time against CSB in playoff contests and swept both regular-season matchups against the Bennies earlier this season.

No. 3 St. Catherine at No. 2 Concordia | 7:00 PM |
St. Catherine will match up next with No. 2-seeded Concordia in the conference semifinals. The Cobbers hold a 2-1 playoff advantage all-time against the Wildcats, with their most recent meeting being in the 2022 quarterfinals. Concordia claimed both regular season matchups against SCU earlier this season.

The two semifinal winners will meet in the MIAC Women's Basketball Playoff Championship Game, which is tentatively set for 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 24 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 2024 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament.

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