ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – Despite a near-perfect shooting night from Amira LaDuke (SO, Cass Lake, Minn./Cass Lake-Bena HS), the Augsburg University women's basketball team dropped a 74-68 decision to the College of Saint Benedict in Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play on Wednesday evening.

THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Saint Benedict 74, Augsburg 68
LOCATION: St. Joseph, Minn.
RECORDS: Augsburg 7-10 overall (6-8 MIAC), Saint Benedict 11-7 overall (9-4 MIAC)

HOW IT HAPPENED
• After falling in an 18-9 hole at the end of the first quarter, the Auggies managed to get the deficit as low as six points in the second quarter. The Bennies responded, however, restoring the nine-point lead at 33-24 at halftime.
• The Auggies made another strong push in the third to briefly make it a five-point game, but the Bennies recovered once again to take a 53-42 lead into the final quarter break. Augsburg continued to hang around in the final frame as the deficit was cut to five points three additional times, but that proved to be as low as it would go with Saint Benedict hanging on for the six-point win.
• The Auggies turned in the more efficient shooting performance, knocking down 28 of their 55 attempts from the field (50.9%) while Saint Benedict hit on just 27-of-65 (41.5%). The Auggies dominated the lane with a 36-22 scoring advantage in the paint and held a 16-6 edge in points from its bench players.
• LaDuke put together one of the strongest shooting performances of her career, hitting nine of her 10 attempts from the field for a team-leading 19 points, a new career high.
• Kalena Myers (SR, Burnsville, Minn./Apple Valley HS) and Wakinyela Bear (SO, Morrison, Colo./Meskwaki HS) were next up on the score sheet with nine points each, also adding six and three rebounds, respectively.
• Melanie Delestrez (SO, Lake Stevens, Wash./Lake Stevens HS) scored eight points and pulled down six boards while Katie Manecke (SR, Shoreview, Minn./Mounds View HS) and Maecee Alexander (FY, St. Louis Park, Minn./St. Louis Park HS) added seven points each.
 
FOR THE FOES
• Carla Meyer led the Bennies with 18 points and seven rebounds. 

UP NEXT
• Augsburg will host Hamline University on Saturday (2/3) at 1 pm as the first game of a doubleheader with the men's teams.