CSB basketball wins two of first three conference games

The CSB basketball team started their season Nov. 12 with a 57-52 win against the University of Minnesota Morris.

They battled all the way to the end to secure a win.

Junior wing/point guard Sophia Jonas led the team with 15 points, and sophomore forward/wing Olivia Boily had a career-high 12 points.

Abigail Kuboushek, a sophomore wing, had a career-high 10 points.

Kuboushek and Boily also secured seven rebounds each.

The team won their next game on Nov. 19 against St. Olaf in overtime 63-59.

Carla Meyer, Jonas and Tori Szathmary scored in double-digits to help win the game.

“Our first two games were really close, and we pulled out the win by playing together and not giving up,” junior forward Lydia Hay said.

Their most recent game against Gustavus on Nov. 22 resulted in a loss (64-47), but the team worked hard and showed potential in the game.

“We believe that the loss to Gustavus will push us to play even harder,” Jonas said.

According to Szathmary, the game was a learning opportunity and revealed what can be improved for the rest of the season.

As a whole, the season thus far has shown that CSB basketball has a lot of potential.

“We have returned a lot of talented players along with having a strong first-year class that came in. We continue to work hard as a whole while making good strides as a team,” Boily said.

This year, the team has made progress in their defense and continues to improve their offense.

“Defensively, we have proven to make big plays and get stops when we need them. Offensively we are still evolving, yet we have been able to put in some significant work since the Gustavus game,” head coach Mike Durbin said.

The team had another opportunity to compete on Nov. 30 at St. Scholastica.

The Bennies beat St. Scholastica 77-50 on Wednesday night in Duluth.

This game was a chance for the team to play better than the last time they competed against them.

“We struggled to run our offense in their gym last year, but we are much more prepared this year and are more than ready to play them,” Jonas said.

After the loss against Gustavus, the Bennies were looking forward to improving individually and collectively for the coming game.

“The St. Scholastica game was a chance to get back at it and compete,” Kuboushek said.

Team leadership has been a strength this season, especially coming from the seniors who, according to Durbin, each bring something different to the table.

“I would describe the senior leadership as uplifting and passionate. All four of our seniors contribute in different ways, but they push each player to be better. They have your back and are always there with words of encouragement whenever someone needs it,” Kuboushek said.

Szathmary, one of the four seniors, has a goal of playing every game competitively.

“Being a senior is bittersweet, knowing that it is my last time playing with some of my best friends. However, I really enjoy the team this year, and I am excited to see the big things we are going to accomplish,” Szathmary said.

Jonas has similar goals for the season.

“My personal goals are to work together with my teammates to play the best we can, limit turnovers, drive to the basket more and, overall, to finish at the top of the MIAC,” she said.

The CSB basketball team has been successful thus far, and they show promise to continue this trend for the entirety of their season.

“I believe we can be an entertaining bunch to watch because when we are dialed in, we are capable of turning some heads with quality play,” Durbin said.

The Bennies will be back in action against Augsburg on Dec. 3 in Claire Lynch Hall at 3 p.m.