Game Summary

WINONA, Minn. — On paper, it should have been a walk in the park.

Should have been.

The Saint Mary's University women's basketball team needed five clutch free throws from Amy Burns (Winona, Minn.) in the game's final minute to seal its 76-70 victory over winless Bethel in the teams' Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opener Wednesday evening at the SMU Gym.

SMU raced out to a five-point, 35-30, halftime advantage, but the Cardinals saw that cushion slowly evaporate as Bethel opened the second half on a 22-16 run to take a 52-51 advantage with just over nine minutes remaining. Bethel (0-1 MIAC, 0-4 overall) pushed the lead to seven with five minutes left, only to have Burns & Co. steal the Royals' second-half thunder and seal the win.

Burns finished with a game-high 22 points for the Cardinals (1-0 MIAC, 2-1 overall). The senior hit 7 of 18 field goals and was 8-for-10 from the free throw line. Jaimie Lee (Eden Prairie, Minn.) added 13 points, whlie Stacy Hammel (Manitowoc, Wis.) tallied 11 points and Jamie Rattunde (Rollingstone, Minn.) pulled down a team-leading seven rebounds.