Game Summary

WINONA, Minn. — Dan Messmann didn't sound like a coach who's team had just lost its third straight game.

But then, when you consider that two of his team's three losses have come against nationally ranked teams — and the latest was a 72-67 barn-burner against defending Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champion St. Benedict — and it's no wonder Messmann isn't feeling too bad about the way his team is playing.

"We've got to be one of the best 0-3 teams around," said Messmann. "We went toe-to-toe with Wartburg (ranked No. 17) at the Luther Tournament last weekend (losing 82-76), and then we came back and gave St. Ben's everything they could handle. Those are two very, very good basketball team, and we played right with them.

"Sure, we would have loved to have won those games, but if we keep playing the way we have been, the wins will come."

Jamie Rattunde (Rollingstone, Minn.) led the way for the Cardinals, collecting her second double-double in three games with a team-high 18 points and 11 rebounds. Ashley Luehmann (Lewiston, Minn.) and Jaimie Lee (Eden Prairie, Minn.) each chipped in 13 points, while Beth Walch (Altura, Minn.) finished with 12 points.

"I was very pleased with the way we played," said Messmann, whose team shot 41 percent from the field — nailing 26 of 62 field goals, including seven 3-pointers. "I told the team before that game that we couldn't get caught up in who our opponent was. We couldn't worry about St. Ben's and their history, we had to go out and play possession-by-possession, second-by-second — and if we did that, we'd be right in the game to the end."

Which is exactly where the Cardinals were.

After trailing by as many as 10 in the first half, SMU battled back, tying the game at 49-49 with just under 10 minutes to play. Lee's only 3-pointer of the game gave SMU a brief, two-point lead with 7:30 left in the game. The Blazers then scored on their next five possessions, but Angie Arrington (Spring Grove, Minn.) and Luehmann kept the Cardinals within two.

SMU tied the game again at 65-65 with three minutes left on a shot by Lee, but the Blazers responded by scoring on four consecutive possessions to put the game away.