The Benedictine University women's basketball team received a long break from competition over the holidays, having not played a game since a December 16 victory at Concordia University Chicago. BenU's schedule of games resumes on Saturday, as the team will host the Sabres of Marian University at 2:00 p.m. at the Dan and Ada Rice Center
Benedictine (5-5, 5-0) currently sits all alone atop the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference standings, as the team's 5-0 conference start is the program's best in the eight-year history of the NACC. In addition, the current five-game winning streak is the team's longest since winning five straight from February 7-23 in 2008 and the longest NACC winning streak since six straight conference wins from February 8-22 in 2007.
Junior post
Nicole Botich has stood out over the five wins, averaging 15.2 points, 9.0 rebounds while shooting 71.7% from the floor. She was named NACC Player of the Week for December 15-21, tallying 19 points and 11 rebounds in the team's 69-61 win at Concordia-Chicago.
Marian (7-3, 4-2) is off to a nice start to the season after finishing 7-19, 7-13 a season ago. Most of last season's young roster has returned, blossoming into what figures to be a competitive team in the NACC down the stretch of the 2015 schedule. The Sabres are the only team to defeat Milwaukee School of Engineering in conference play, as the 5-1 Raiders fell to Marian 70-65 on December 3.
While the Sabres are still young, the team is led by senior guard Sarah Olewinski. Olweinski leads Marian in scoring (14.2, ninth in the NACC) and assists (3.8, second in the NACC behind BenU's
Meghan Novak) while also adding 3.1 rebounds per game. The Sabres have also received nice contributions from freshman guard/forward Brittany Bauman (8.7 points, 5.2 rebounds), as she's among the NACC leaders in field goal percentage (50.0%, seventh) and three-point percentage (41.2%, fourth).
The Eagles impressed in both matchups against Marian last season, outscoring the Sabres 139-104 in the two victories.
Meghan Novak led the Eagles with 22 points in a 74-60 win at Marian, as BenU also received solid contributions from
Vincenza Ranallo (16 points) and
Michelle Batty (12 points, six rebounds, 4-of-4 shooting off the bench). In a 65-44 home win later in the season,
Briana Hamilton paced BenU with 15 bench points as 10 different Eagles scored in the victory. Marian has not defeated BenU since a 67-61 win in Wisconsin on January 14, 2012, as the Eagles are 8-2 against the Sabres since the NACC was formed and have won all six meetings in Lisle.
