Grinnell Women’s Basketball Rallies Past St. Olaf for Second Straight Win
GRINNELL, Iowa — The Grinnell College women’s basketball team secured a 69-62 victory over St. Olaf College in an intense matchup at Darby Gym on November 9. Playing in front of an enthusiastic home crowd, the Pioneers overcame a strong first-half performance by St. Olaf to maintain their undefeated start to the season.
Grinnell faced an early challenge as St. Olaf led by three points at the end of the first quarter, 25-22, and extended their lead in the second quarter to take a 44-39 advantage into halftime. However, the Pioneers mounted a comeback, outscoring St. Olaf 20-13 in the third quarter and controlling the pace to hold their opponents to just five points in the final period.
Chloee Smith led Grinnell with a standout performance, scoring 20 points on 6-for-9 shooting, including four three-pointers. Sara Booher made her presence felt in the paint, contributing 14 rebounds and 12 points, while Nikki Ware added a steady 12 points and three assists.
The Pioneers capitalized on second-chance opportunities, grabbing 10 offensive rebounds and scoring 26 points in the paint. They also showed discipline at the free-throw line, converting 13 of 19 attempts. Defensively, Grinnell held St. Olaf to 33.3% shooting in the fourth quarter, making it difficult for the visitors to close the gap.
With the victory, Grinnell improves to 2-0.
