ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – Leaning heavily on the scoring duo of Jen Masello (SR, Darien, Ill./Downers Grove South HS) and Anja Smith (SO, Kewaskum, Wis./Saint Mary's Springs HS), the Augsburg University women's basketball team hung on for a tight 64-63 win over the College of Saint Benedict on Saturday afternoon to extend its winning streak to 10 and move to 10-0 in Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play.

THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Augsburg 64, Saint Benedict 63
LOCATION: Claire Lynch Hall, St. Joseph, Minn.
RECORDS: Augsburg 10-3 overall (10-0 MIAC), Saint Benedict 8-5 overall (5-5 MIAC)

HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Auggies stumbled out of the gates as they watched the Bennies score the first seven points of the game. Masello got them on the board just over two minutes into the game and they kept pace for the remainder of the quarter, but the Bennies still held a four-point lead at the end of one. The game remained close in the second with Grace Eastman (JR, St. Francis, Minn./St. Francis HS) hitting a late three to tie the game heading into halftime.
• Coming out of the break, Masello gave the Auggies their first lead of the game at the 8:57 mark in the third. The Auggies started to pull away with the lead reaching as many as seven, but a late 6-0 run by the Bennies made it a one-point game heading into the fourth.
• The Auggies came out with a 6-0 run of their own to start the final quarter, making it a seven-point game once again. The Bennies would not go away easily, however, as they fought back to tie the game at the 2:51 mark. A layup from Masello and a pair of clutch free throws from Smith proved to be all the scoring the Auggies needed as they held on for the one-point win.
• Masello was the scoring leader for Augsburg, knocking down eight of her 17 shots for 17 points while grabbing seven rebounds, four assists, three blocks, and three steals. Smith was just behind her, finishing with 16 points on six-of-12 shooting and grabbing a team-high nine rebounds along with a pair of assists.
• Jaley Coplin (JR, Shakoppe, Minn./Shakopee HS) and Kalena Myers (SO, Burnsville, Minn./Apple Valley HS) added eight points each for the Auggies with Coplin grabbing five rebounds and Myers grabbing two.
• Selena Lor (SR, Winona, Minn./Winona HS) finished with six points, four rebounds, and an assist while Eastman rounded out the starters with five points, three rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
• The Auggies found success in the lane throughout the day, outscoring the Bennies 40-26 in the paint.

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
• Following the game, both Masello and Smith rank within the top five in several categories of the MIAC overall statistics rankings. Smith ranks second with 15.5 points per-game, fifth with 7.1 rebounds per-game, and fourth with a field goal percentage of 51.0. Masello ranks third with 15.2 points per game and second with 9.7 rebounds per-game.
• The Auggies' 10-0 to start to MIAC play this season extends the new program record for most MIAC wins in a row to start the season, besting the previous record of 7-0 set in 2018-19.

FOR THE FOES
• Sophia Jonas led the Bennies with 17 points while Carla Meyer and Gabby Martin finished with 14 and 12, respectively.

UP NEXT
• The Auggies will return home to Si Melby Hall for a matchup against St. Scholastica on Wednesday (1/19) at 7 p.m.