Women’s Basketball came into the quarterfinals of the playoffs with a fire under them. Hamline was the fifth seed with four recent wins, starting against Bethel on Feb. 11, to Saint Benedict’s on Feb. 14. Then on Feb. 18, a win against their playoffs’ competition: Saint Mary’s, and Macalester on Feb. 21. The Pipers were hot for their game on Feb. 24 against Saint Mary’s.

Junior forward Marina LaFreniere was the first to score in the game. LaFreniere scored a jump shot and a layup to get the Pipers to a fast 4—0 lead in the first minute of the quarter. With help from her other teammates, like senior guard Camille Cummings and junior forward Evelyn Wiltrou, she kept Saint Mary’s from being able to get traction in the first quarter. The quarter ended with Hamline leading by six, ending with 15 points.

The second quarter had seven turnovers for Saint Mary’s and only three for Hamline. This helped the Pipers keep the lead, being able to score 12 points before Saint Mary’s was able to score one point. Hamline had seven rebounds, four defensive and three offensive. Senior guard and forward Sophie Stork, in the final minutes of the game, scored a three-pointer, closing out the second quarter for the pipers, with the score being 30—18 at halftime.

The third quarter was the Pipers’ strongest quarter, scoring 22 points. Hamline had a 21 point lead for over two minutes in the third quarter, with the largest score difference being 49—28. With six assists and three steals from Hamline, there was little to no stopping the Pipers. Sophomore Emma Lamppa and senior Josie Wiebusch both got vital three-pointers during this quarter. With Saint Mary finishing the quarter twenty points behind the Pipers, it was hard to see a comeback in the fourth quarter.

The fourth quarter started with the score of 52—32 in the Piper’s favor, with Lamppa leading Hamline’s scoring efforts with nine points, and Stork right behind her with eight points. However, the fourth quarter was the turning point in this game. Saint Mary’s scored three points 22 seconds into the fourth quarter. 10 missed field goals and two missed two pointers, Hamline still had the lead with two minutes left in the fourth quarter. It was then that a three-pointer and a two-point assist had given Saint Mary’s the lead, at 53—52. Saint Mary’s continued scoring consistently until there were four seconds left, leaving the final score in their favor, ending the game 59-52.

Women’s Basketball ends their season 19—7, with a conference record of 13—5. The Pipers had an amazing season, with their longest winning streak being 10 straight games and a win against nationally ranked Bethel.