Women’s Basketball: Scots Drop MIAC Game to No. 22 Gustavus

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Macalester women’s basketball team hosted MIAC opponent Gustavus Adolphus this afternoon in the Leonard Center. The Scots fought valiantly, playing well, shooting 42.9% from the field, but ultimately fell 69-46 to the Gusties. The Scots are 4-17 (3-15 MIAC).

The first quarter was very back-and-forth. The Gusties took the lead, and then sophomore guard/forward Katherine Norquist (Chicago, Ill./Walter Payton College Prep) hit both free throws to tie the game at two. Senior guard Solana Cushing (Minneapolis, Minn./South) sank one from beyond the arc to take the lead 5-4 with 7:11 on the clock. Sophomore guard/forward Peyton Starks (St. Louis, Mo./John Burroughs School) continued to increase Macalester’s lead to 9-4. The Gusties started to knock in some points, but Starks shut that down with a three-pointer to lead 12-6 with 4:45 left in the quarter. The held the lead 14-11 with a jumper from sophomore guard Camille Samuel (Tampa, Fla./Tampa Preparatory). The lead changed three times within the last minute of the quarter, but Starks’ and-one at the end, secured a 19-17 lead for Macalester heading into the second quarter.

Macalester continued to hold onto the lead early in the quarter, with points from junior guard Caitlin Panos (North Andover, Mass./Andover), Norquist, and junior guard Andrea Palmen (Kenosha, Wis./The Prairie School), leading 25-22. Gustavus would go on to gain a small lead, 29-25 with 6:25 on the clock. Yet the Scots came back to tie the game at 29 all with a layup from Starks and two from the line by Norquist….