Courtesy of Jordan Modjeski/Gustavus

Adolphus Athletics

ST. PETER — No. 5 Gustavus women’s basketball advanced to the Sweet 16 for the second time in program history with a 56-50 win over No. 12 Wartburg (Iowa) in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Gus Young Court on Saturday, March 8.

Trailing by four, 45-41, with 6:19 to play in the fourth quarter, the Gusties finished with a 15-5 run thanks to eight points out of the hands of Emma Kniefel (5th, Medford, Minn.), to defeat the Knights on their home court, advancing to the Sectional Semifinals for the first time since the 2017-18 season.

“This is why you do it,” said head coach Laurie Kelly following the win. “The harder it is, the better it is. When push came to shove, we stepped up and made big plays.”

And many of those came from Kniefel down the stretch, who scored 10 fourth quarter points off a perfect mark from both the floor (3-for-3) and the line (4-for-4). Kylie Baranick (Sr., Maple Grove, Minn.) shifted the momentum and sparked the Gusties’ final scoring run, bringing the home team within one of the Wartburg lead with a three-pointer midway through the final frame.

Gustavus (28-1,17-1 MIAC) led for much of the game out of the gate, including a mark of 31-26 at halftime, taking advantage of 14 Wartburg turnovers for 15 points. Both teams shot well through the first half, each above 40 percent, but the difference was made off the glass and the line, as the Gusties hauled in six offensive boards and drew nine fouls, shooting perfect from the charity stripe to start for the advantage heading into the locker room.

Wartburg (26-3, 16-0 A-R-C) out-scored the Gusties 13-7 in the third quarter, holding Kniefel scoreless and forcing six turnovers for a one-point lead heading into the fourth. But, as they have all season, the Gusties dominated defensively in the final 10 minutes, getting a number of crucial stops, as well as four steals for nine points off Wartburg giveaways to seal the win. Izzy Quick (5th, Brooklyn Park, Minn.) forced a jump ball in the game’s final seconds to give the ball back to the Gusties and keep their tournament run alive.

The Gusties finished shooting 20-for-50 (40 percent) from the field, but just 2-for-11 (18.2 percent) from three-point range, while Wartburg was 41 percent (16-for-39) from the floor and 43.8 percent (7-for-16) from beyond the arc.

Kniefel added another 20-point performance to her resume, going 7-for-15 from the floor to lead all players. Baranick chipped in 12, while Quick had eight alongside four assists, four rebounds, and a pair of steals. Syd Hauger (5th, Springfield, Minn.) hauled in five rebounds, all of which came on the offensive end of the court, as well as four steals to lead the team defensively. Rachel Kawiecki’s (Sr., Richfield, Minn.) eight boards led all players.

The Gusties now travel to Brunswick, Maine for their Section Semifinal against McMurray (Texas), which reached the Sweet 16 via a 66-63 win over Texas Lutheran Saturday night. No. 2 Bowdoin (Maine) will serve as the tournament host for the next two rounds, facing No. 8 Smith (Mass.) in the second of two games to be played on Friday, March 14. The Gusties are set for tip-off at 4 p.m. CST Friday, with the winners meeting in the Elite 8 the following day, March 15.

For more information, visit gogusties.com.