Men’s Basketball takes on St. Olaf in the first three games of a four game series

On Saturday, March 19, men’s basketball returned to the court at St. Olaf College, in a first of four game series. The Scots lost a close game, 67-70. Caleb Williams ’24 led the team in scoring, rebounds and steals with 21 points, nine rebounds and three steals. Jackson Henningfield ’21 added 12 points and seven rebounds. Michael Poker ’24 also added 12 points with 4-of-5 shooting from three. The Scots led at half, 36-33, and outrebounded the Oles, 38 to 34.

The Scots lost the second game in the series to the Oles on Sunday, March 21. It was the home opener for Macalester and a back and forth game with the Scots up 20-19 at half and down 46-42 with 43 seconds, before eventually losing 54-47. Henningfield led all scorers with 19 points and nine rebounds on 9-of-18 from the field. He also added two steals and two blocks. Tom Andreae ’24 had six points, three assists and two steals and Eric Sathy ’22 had eight points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal both off the bench. Michael Meriggioli of St. Olaf had a double-double and led the Oles with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

The third game of the series will be held at 2:00 pm on Sunday, March 28th at the Alumni gym. The game at St. Olaf was moved from Thursday, March 25th to Tuesday, March 30th with tip-off scheduled for 7:00 PM. 

Women’s Basketball sweeps two game series with St. Catherine

On Friday, March 19, Macalester won its home opener in a two game series with St. Catherine University, 62-58. It was a close game that St. Catherine led 33-29 at half. The Scots pulled ahead in the final minute of the game and finished on a 4-0 run to win 62-58. Justine Barazza ’21 led all scorers with 19 points with 4 of-7 from beyond the arc. Katie Sowerby ’21 had 10 points, five steals, five rebounds and nine assists. Sowerby stole the ball and assisted Barazza on the winning bucket to put the Scots up 60-58. Katherine Podoll ’21 had 13 points with three made threes and made two free throws to ice the game.

Macalester took home a second win over St. Catherine on Sunday, March 21, giving them consecutive victories to start the season. This marks the best start for the women’s basketball program since the 2014-2015 season. Celine Sabbagh ’22 led both teams in scoring with 21 points, shooting 8-16 from the field and 1-3 from beyond the arc. Podoll also contributed seven rebounds, while Sowerby tallied four steals. Despite being down by an 11-point deficit at half, the Scots fought their way back and held St. Catherine to only five points in the fourth quarter, forcing OT. The Scots then went on to shoot a perfect 4-4 from the field in overtime, and closed the game out 73-64. 

Athletic Department to allow spectators at outdoor athletic events

There are some upcoming sporting events in which students, faculty and staff from the Macalester community will be allowed to attend. 

“As long as COVID-19 cases remain low, we expect to be able to gradually loosen these restrictions,” a March 19 Athletics Department press release stated. 

This will only be for outdoor sporting events, as indoor sporting events cannot have spectators per MIAC guidelines. This means events held in the Alumni Gymnasium or Riley Pool in the Leonard Center will not allow spectators to attend. 

According to the press release, Macalester community members must: “Wear a mask at all times. Stand or sit with their pods in the designated viewing areas and remain at least six feet from other spectators. Spectators should not interact with participants prior to or at the conclusion of events.” All home contests are live streamed on the Macalester Athletics website here.

Upcoming Events (Home events in bold)

Saturday, March 27th 

Men’s Swim and Dive Intrasquad Meet (1:00 PM) (No in-person spectators)

Women’s Swim and Dive Intrasquad Meet (1:00 PM) (No in-person spectators)

Sunday, March 28th

Men’s Basketball vs. St. Olaf College (2:00 PM) (No in-person spectators)

Women’s Basketball @ St. Olaf College (Northfield, MN) (3:00 PM)

Tuesday, March 30th

Men’s Basketball @ St. Olaf College (Northfield, MN) (7:00 PM)