Piper women fly past Cardinals

The Pipers, playing in front of several Hamline faculty and staff members who were honored for their dedication and support of the team in a pre-game ceremony, overcame an initial offensive push by the Cardinals to finish with a 16-point lead.

Saint Mary’s started off fast, with Stephanie Ayers (So., Deer River, Minn.) scoring the first two of her team-high 15 points to open the game, and the Cardinals scoring the first five points of the game.

The two teams switched leads several times around the half-way point of the opening 20 minutes, but the Pipers took control on their home court on a Jessica Heinen (Jr., Spicer, Minn.) three-pointer with six and a half minutes left in the half. Hamline never lost the lead after that shot, including holding a seven-point advantage going into the locker room, 32-25.

Less than four minutes into the second half, Heinen scored two more of her Piper-leading 17 points on a jumper that gave Hamline a double-digit lead that would remain.

The Pipers out-shot the Cardinals from the free throw line 90% (9-for-10) to 70% (14-for-20) in the game.

Heinen was aided in scoring by 11 points from Krystal Tschumperlin (Jr., Watkins, Minn.), while Mary Wilkowski (Fy., Savannah, Ga.) added eight points – all in the second half.  Rochelle Sather (So., Andover, Minn.) had nine, while Britta Schwarthoff (Jr., Hayward, Wis.) also contributed eight points.

Saint Mary’s was led by Ayers’ 15 points, while Alyse Coates (Jr., West St. Paul, Minn.) chipped in 10.

The Pipers improved to 12-9, 9-9 MIAC, while the Cardinals fell to 4-17, 3-15 MIAC. The Pipers next play at Carleton on Wednesday, February 13, for a 7:30 p.m. game.
 
Hamline University belongs to the NCAA Division III Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, one of the most competitive conferences in the nation. Hamline supports 19 intercollegiate athletic teams for men and women. Find out more about Hamline athletics at www.hamline.edu/hamline_info/athletics.

Creative and innovative teaching and learning attract a diverse student body of nearly 4,600 undergraduate and graduate students to Hamline University. Challenged to create and apply knowledge in local and global contexts, Hamline students develop an individual and community ethic of social justice, civic responsibility, and inclusive leadership and service.

Ranked first in Minnesota among comprehensive master’s universities by U.S.News & World Report, Hamline is also Minnesota’s first university, founded in 1854, and among the first co-educational institutions in the nation.