Game Summary
NORTHFIELD, Minn. — Saint Mary's University men's basketball coach Bob Biebel isn't much of a movie buff, and he's not too familiar with the 1990s movie Groundhogs Day, in which Bill Murray relives the me day over and over and over again.
Then again, Biebel doesn't need to have seen the movie to know what Murray was going through — he's experiencing his own Groundhogs Day.
The Cardinals dropped their eighth straight game Saturday afternoon, falling to St. Olaf 89-74.
And, like the seven games before it, the reason for the Cardinals' struggles against St. Olaf were easily definable — they didn't get the key baskets when they needed them.
"I know I'm beginning to sound like a broken record, but it's the same thing game after game after game," said Biebel, whose team could have used a few key shots early against the Oles, who netted the game's first 18 points and never looked back in rolling to the 15-point win. "We're getting good looks at the basket, we're just not hitting the shots."
After failing to score a point through the first five minutes against the Oles, the Cardinals managed to whittle St. Olaf's lead down to 12, 42-30, by halftime. Over the final 20 minutes, however, the Cardinals would get no closer than 10 points in falling to 2-10 in the MIAC and 2-15 overall.
"Offensively, we're too up and down — we're just not getting consistent performances," said Biebel, whose team was led by Terrence Smith's (Broadview, Ill.) 16 points and Nick Michaels' (Dyer, Ind.) 13. Lance Larson (Lakeville, Minn.) and Jim Wangler (Wheaton, Ill.) — averaging in double figures coming into Saturday's game — managed just seven and five points, respectively.
On the flip side, all five St. Olaf starters scored in double figures, led by Tim Nelson's game-high 22 points. Mike Ludwig chipped in 16 points, while Justin Bonestroo scored 12 and Kevin Jaunich and Matt Schlenker tallied 11 each.
"The effort's there," said Biebel, whose team has not won since a 72-67 win over St. John's on Jan. 4. "We've just got to find a way to put all the pieces together — to play a complete, 40-minute game."
