Gustavus struggled in the first half, shooting only 30% (12-39) from the field and 9.1% (1-11) from 3-point range. The Wildcats jumped out to an early six-point lead and buillt their lead to as many as ten points off of 42% (13-31) shooting. St. Kate's took a 34-29 lead into halftime under the direction of the team's only senior Natalie Lyzhoft who scored 11 points in the half.
The Gusties came out as a different team in the second half, improving nearly every aspect of their game. Bri Monahan's 29 points were a result of accurate passing and patience to work the ball inside for easy points in the paint. The Gusties opened the half with a 12-4 run to give the team a three-point advantage with 14:29 left to play. Gustavus then held the Wildcats to only one basket over five minutes and built a 23 point lead, their largest advantage of the game. Rachel Berglund scored eight of her 16 points for the Wildcats in the final minute and a half of play, but the Gusties held on for a 77-65 win.
Coach Haller's squad improved its shooting dramatically in the second half, going 15-31 (48.4%), 3-5 (60.0%) from behind the arc and an impressive 15-17 (88.2%) from the free-throw line. The Gusties also outrebounded the Wildcats by a 46-39 margin.
The Gusties will have Sunday off before traveling to St. Paul to take on St. Thomas on Monday evening. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.