MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The St. Olaf College women's basketball team got out to an 18-2 lead in a wire-to-wire 66-51 non-conference victory over North Central University on Wednesday evening at Clark-Danielson Gymnasium.

In the second-ever meeting between the two programs, St. Olaf (2-1) scored the game's first 14 points while holding North Central (0-2) scoreless for the first 6:02 to get out to a double-digit lead early. The Oles led by at least seven points the rest of the way and were up by as many as 19 midway through the fourth quarter.

Senior Paige Yagodinski shot 7-for-13 from the field and 4-for-4 from the free-throw line while scoring a game-high 18 points to go with four rebounds, four assists, and six steals. Sophomore Joy Brandenstein was 4-for-6 from three-point range on her way to a 15-point night, while sophomores Chloee Smith and Bree Wilkerson added nine points apiece.

St. Olaf shot 45.3 percent (24-for-53) from the field and had 17 assists on its 24 made field goals. The Oles also outscored the Rams by a 30-14 margin in the paint, while limiting reigning Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) Player of the Week Kaitlyn VanderPloeg to four points and seven rebounds in 23 foul-plagued minutes. VanderPloeg recorded a 24-point, 17-rebound double-double in North Central's season opener.

Senior Ziling Zhen and Brandenstein hit three-pointers on St. Olaf's first two possessions before Yagodinski capped the 14-0 start with back-to-back layups. After North Central missed its first seven shots, Brycelyn Brewster broke the drought with a layup 6:02 in. The Rams connected on a pair of three-pointers in the final two minutes to get within 18-8 after one quarter despite shooting just 3-for-12 (25.0 percent) from the field.

North Central was 4-for-8 from three-point range in the second quarter, including one from McKenzke Latzke in the closing seconds, to cut St. Olaf's lead to 33-26 at halftime. Earlier in the quarter, the Oles extended their lead to as many as 15 twice behind five early points from sophomore Emily Courchaine.

The Oles shot 8-for-13 (61.5 percent) from the field while holding the Rams to 4-for-15 (26.7 percent) in the third quarter to push their lead to 52-39 going to the fourth. North Central was down just eight three minutes into the quarter after a Latzke three-pointer, but St. Olaf went on an 8-2 run to push its lead back to double figures.

In the fourth, the Oles led by at least 14 points for the entire quarter while going 7-for-8 (87.5 percent) from the free-throw line to see out the win. Yagodinski scored 12 of her 18 points in the second half.

St. Olaf will host Crown College in its home opener on Wednesday, Nov. 20 at 5 p.m. at Bob Gelle Court.