Game Summary vs. Macalester / GameDay Online / Photo Gallery

WINONA, Minn. — A year ago, Macalester handed the Saint Mary's University a pair of Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference setbacks, with each game being decided in the game's final seconds.

Wednesday evening, the Cardinals gave the Scots a taste of their own medicine.

Will Wright (Chicago, Ill.) scored with 20 seconds remaining — giving SMU its first lead of the game — then knocked down one of two free throws with five seconds remaining, as SMU opened its conference schedule with a 67-65 victory at the SMU Gym.

“We feel fortunate to come away with a win like this,” said SMU coach Todd Landrum, who wasn't around a year ago, when Macalester scored with 1.6 seconds left to pull out a 72-70 win, or when the Scots got a pair of free throws with seven seconds remaining to ice a 68-65 Macalester victory. “We did not play very well in the first half, but came out and played much better in the second.”

After a dismal opening half, in which the Cardinals trailed by as many as 12 points, managed just 29 points — shooting 40 percent from the field (11-for-27), including just 1-for-7 from behind the 3-point line — SMU came to life in the second half.

Trailing by 10, 53-43, with 12:43 remaining, SMU outscored the Scots 14-8 over the six minutes — highlighted by a Wright dunk — to cut the gap to 61-57. A James Murrey basket pushed Macalester's lead back to six, 63-57, but Lukas Holland (La Crosse, Wis.) answered with a 3-pointer and driving lay-up to make it a one-point game, 63-62, with 3:49 on the clock.

The two teams traded baskets to make it 65-64 with 49 seconds left, before Murrey, who had made his first 11 shots from the field, missed from inside and Wright followed with his 10th field goal of the game.

The Scots' Kyle Hamblett had a chance to put Macalester back on top, but his 12-foot bounced off the rim, and Wright hammered the final nail in the coffin with one of two free throws with five ticks on the clock.

Wright finished with a game-high 24 points, hitting 10 of 14 field-goal attempts, while Holland chipped in 20 points for the Cardinals, who won their conference opener for the first time in three years. Murrey finished with 23 points for the Scots, while Colin Keeley added 14.

“I'm happy for the guys — they worked their tails off tonight and never gave up,” said Landrum. “Every league game is important, and down the road, this is going to prove to be a big win for us. We've got some things we need to tighten up, but we're certainly thrilled with the win.”

SMU (1-0 MIAC, 2-3 overall) returns to action Saturday, traveling to Bethel for a 3 p.m. conference game against the Royals.