Game Summary

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University women's basketball team nearly pulled off the unthinkable Wednesday evening.

Nearly.

Trailing Augsburg by 13 with 1:33 remaining in regulation, the Cardinals went on an 11-1 run — scoring on all five of their possessions to pull within three, 64-61, with 10 seconds remaining. Unfortunately, the Auggies' Shannon Spears rained on the Cardinals' second-half parade, nailing a pair of free throws with five seconds remaining to ice the win as the Auggies slipped past SMU 66-64.

Stacy Hammel (Manitowoc, Wis.) scored a team-high 19 points and Alissa Erichsen (Spring Valley, Minn.) chipped in 11 for the Cardinals, who have now dropped a season-high four straight games.

Augsburg led by two, 31-29, at halftime, and increased that lead to 13, 60-47, with 5:52 remaining. Unable to cut into the lead, the Cardinals found themselves in dire straits, down by 13 with 1:33 left. But an ice-cold performance from the Auggies at the free throw line nearly allowed SMU to pull out the win.

Forced to foul, the Cardinals put Augsburg on the line four straight times during their late-game 11-1 run, and the Auggies responded by making just one of the eight free throws. But it was Spears to the rescue as the junior capped off her career-high 23 points with those two late-game free throws to give Augsburg a split in its season series with the Cardinals.