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vs.
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Saint Mary's Cardinals
0-0 Overall
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Winona State Warriors
2-0 Overall |
Live In-Game Statistics
Last Action: Tonight's game is the season opener for the Cardinals, who are coming off a 3-19 season in the first year under head coach
Mandy Pearson. … Winona State, meanwhile, already has five games under their belt. After a 1-2 exhibition season — losses to Marquette (
78-53) and UW-Green Bay (
90-52) and a win vs. Northern Iowa (
71-66) — WSU dropped Loras (
83-63) and Clarke (
95-56).
Last Meeting: The Warriors scored the game's first six points — thanks in part to four turnovers and three missed shots by the Cardinals on their first seven possessions — and used a 16-0 run to build that lead to 25, 32-7, with 6:37 remaining in the first half. WSU settled for a 41-18 halftime advantage, then outscored SMU 39-35 over the game's final 20 minutes to secure the 80-53 nonconference win a year ago.
All-Time Series Record: With last year's win, the Warriors improved to 13-5 all-time against SMU.
Probable Starters:
Saint Mary's Cardinals (0-0)
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Pos. |
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#4 Jesa Hall (So., 4.4 ppg, 1.5 ppg)
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G |
#12 Cherie Kulig (So., 5.2 ppg, 2-2 rpg)
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G
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#32 Michelle Carne (Fr., 0.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg)
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G |
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#30 Jess Miller (So., 9.0 ppg, 3.9 rpg)
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F |
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#42 Brittany Begrowicz (Fr., 0.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg)
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F |
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Winona State Warriors (2-0)
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Pos |
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#34 Ana Wurtz (Jr., 19.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg)
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G
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#11 Jenny Steffen (Sr., 5.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg)
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G
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#10 Kelsey Homewood (Sr., 6.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg)
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G
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#21 Natalie Gigler (So., 20.0 ppg, 7.5 rpg)
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F
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#5 Jamie Majerowicz (Sr., 7.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg)
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F |
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Cardinal Notes: With their season-ending loss to Concordia, the Cardinals closed out the season with losses in seven straight games. … SMU enters the 2008-09 season having to replace two-time All-MIAC First-Teamer
Jess Weisbrod. The graduated senior averaged 14.8 ppg, posted eight double-doubles last season — giving her 17 for her career — scored 10 or more points in 17 of the Cardinals' 25 games and netted 20 or more points five times. She was the eighth SMU player to eclipse the 1,000-point mark and ranked second in the MIAC in offensive rebounds (80, 3.8 orpg) and fifth in total rebounds (164, 7.8 rpg). …
Jess Miller (Carver, Minn.) returns as the Cardinals' leading scorer. The sophomore averaged 9.0 ppg and made 45 of 55 free throws. … Twenty of SMU's 21 losses a year ago came during losing streaks of six (twice) and seven games. … SMU's opponents eclipsed the 70-point mark 13 times in the Cardinals' 25 games — including a season-high 89-point effort by Bethel in an 89-56 Royal win on Jan. 19. … On the flip side, the Cardinals scored a season-high 72 points in a 72-62 win over Coe on Jan. 2 — it was the only time this season the Cardinals scored 70 or more points. … The Cardinals managed just one win in 11 road games this season, with their lone road win a 57-54 victory over St. Olaf on Jan. 5.
Warrior Notes: The Warriors are coming off a school-record 21-win season a year ago. WSU, tabbed to finish fourth in the NSIC in the preseason coaches' poll — after placing third and hosting an NSIC post-season tournament game a year ago — returns 80 percent of its scoring, led by Jenny Steffen, who led the nation in three-point field goal shooting a year ago, while averaging a team-leading 13.6 ppg. … WSU forced Loras ito 25 turnovers en route to Tuesday's 95-56 win. … All 12 Warriors who played vs. Loras Tuesday scored at least one point, led by Ana Wurtz's game-high 21 points. …
