EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – Saint Louis led for more than 35 minutes in a 69-50 win over Minnesota to claim the program’s first WNIT championship Saturday.
After a back-and-forth first six minutes, the Billikens scored 10 of the final dozen points of the first quarter to take a seven-point lead, which they did not relinquish. The advantage was a dozen at the half.
The lead ballooned to 24 in the third quarter as SLU scored 18 of the first 24 points of the period. The closest the Golden Gophers got after that point was 19.
Saint Louis shot 50% (13-for-26) in the second half, including 8-of-15 from deep.
SLU won this game by nearly as many points (19) as its first five WNIT games combined (21).
Kyla McMakin registered a game-high 20 points. Peyton Kennedy, who was named tournament Most Valuable Player, tallied 19 points and five rebounds. She averaged 22.5 points and 6.3 boards per game for the tournament. Kennedy Calhoun was also in double figures with 11 on 5-fo-8 shooting.
Saint Louis finished seventh in the Atlantic 10 this season with an 8-9 record in conference play, which means it won nearly as many games in the WNIT (six) as conference games in the regular season. The Billikens won a pair of games at the A10 Tournament before falling in the semifinals.
SLU’s six-game winning streak in the WNIT was its longest of the season. It won five straight bridging the end of the regular season and A10 Tournament. So, the Billikens closed the campaign by winning 11 of its last 12 games. They conclude the season 22-18 overall.
This year marks the third time in the last four years a mid-major team won the WNIT. Rice claimed the title in 2021, and South Dakota State did in 2022. Kansas beat Columbia in the title game last year.
The Jackrabbits and the Lions both reached the NCAA Tournament in the season following their WNIT Final appearance.
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