ARDEN HILLS, Minn. – For the fourth time in program history - and the fourth time in as many seasons - the Gustavus Golden Gusties are Women's Basketball Playoff champions of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC).
The Gusties took a 7-6 lead midway through the first quarter and never relinquished it, defeating Bethel, 66-53, for their fourth consecutive playoff crown.
| Box Score |
Gustavus now heads to the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament as the automatic qualifier from the MIAC.
HOW IT HAPPENED
-The Gusties outrebounded the Royals by a margin of 28 to 17 and forced 21 turnovers on the defensive end. Gustavus also scored 25 points off those turnovers and converted on 23 of their 30 shots from the free-throw line.
-Gustavus guard Emma Kniefel led all scorers with 19 points, going 6-for-11 from the floor and knocking down all six of her foul shots.
-Shooting from beyond the arc kept the game within reach for BU. The Royals shot 50 percent (7-for-14) from long range, including a trio of critical three-point conversions in the second half - with two in the fourth quarter - from Rosalie Penke.
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
-With the victory, Gustavus earned the MIAC's automatic qualifier to the 2025 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament. This is the eleventh time in program history that the Gusties will head to the national tournament.
-The Playoff title is the fourth in a row for the Gusties. Gustavus is now the third MIAC women's basketball program to win at least four consecutive MIAC Playoff titles, joining Carleton (2001-04) and St. Thomas (2012-19).
-Gustavus came into the game ranked No. 7 in the NCAA Power Index, while Bethel was No. 15. There will be 43 automatic qualifiers and 21 at-large bids to the 64-team NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament.
UP NEXT
-Gustavus received the MIAC Playoff championship plaque and the Conference's automatic bid to the 2025 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament. Bethel will await Selection Monday to see if the league sends any additional teams to the NCAA Tournament via at-large bids. The NCAA will announce the national tournament field during its annual selection show on NCAA.com on Monday, March 3.
2025 MIAC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
Quarterfinals | Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025
No. 5 Saint Benedict 68, No. 4 Concordia 64 | Box Score |
No. 3 Hamline 73, No. 6 Saint Mary's 61 | Box Score |
Semifinals | Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025
No. 1 Bethel 79, No. 5 Saint Benedict 50 | Box Score |
No. 2 Gustavus 71, No. 3 Hamline 35 | Box Score |
Championship | Saturday, Mar. 1, 2025
No. 2 Gustavus 66, No. 1 Bethel 53 | Box Score |