vs.
Saint Mary's Cardinals   0-1 MIAC / 0-3 Overall		Bethel Royals   0-1 MIAC / 1-1 Overall

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Last Action: The Cardinals managed just 15 first-half points and never recovered in dropping a 65-50 decision to Macalester in the teams' Minnesota Intercollegiate opener in St. Paul, Minn. … Bethel, meanwhile, struggled from the field in losing its conference opener to defending co-conference champion Saint Benedict 73-36.

Last Meeting: The Royals picked up a pair of wins vs. the Cardinals in their conference meetings a year ago. Gabriella Gustafson scored a game-high 23 points, leading three Bethel players in double figures, as the Royals raced out to a 14-point first-half lead — then outscored the Cardinals 41-22 in the second half in cruising to an 89-56 MIAC win on Jan. 19. Jess Weisbrod tossed in a team-high 21 points and added 10 assists for her eighth double-double of the season, but it was not enough, as Bethel completed the conference sweep of SMU with a 75-68 win at the SMU Gym on Feb. 16.

All-Time Series Record: With their two wins a year ago, Bethel pulled even with the Cardinals, 19-19, in the teams' all-time series.

Probable Starters:

Saint Mary's Cardinals (0-1 MIAC / 0-3)	Pos.
#4 Jesa Hall (So., 4.3 ppg, 1.0 rpg)	G
#20 Cherie Kulig (So., 10.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg)	G
#30 Jess Miller (So., 11.3, 2.3 rpg)	G
#34 Michelle Carne (Fr., 8.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg)	F
#54 Jennifer Rietzler (Fr., 3.0 ppg, 1.7 rpg)	F
Bethel Royals (0-1 MIAC / 1-1)	Pos
#3 Shari Laugen (Jr., 5.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg)	G
#23 Alexa Grones (Sr., 0.0 ppg, 2.5 rpg)	G
#32 Erica Hormig (Sr., 5.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg)	F
#33 Kristen Wolters (Jr., 8.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg)	F
#55 Annegret Nautsch (Sr., 15.0 ppg, 8.5 rpg)	C

Cardinal Notes: With Wednesday's loss at Macalester, the Cardinals saw their season-opening losing streak hit three straight. It's the second straight season in which SMU has opened 0-3. The Cardinals dropped their first six games a year ago. … SMU's three season-opening losses leave the Cardinals searching for their first win since a 63-48 win over St. Olaf on Feb. 2 — a span of 10 straight games (SMU closed out the 2007-08 season with seven consecutive losses). … Wednesday's loss was also the fourth straight conference-opening loss for the Cardinals, who have not opened MIAC play with a win since dispatching of St. Catherine 78-70 on Dec. 1, 2004. … Jess Miller (Carver, Minn.) scored a team-high 12 points in Wednesday's loss vs. Macalester. It was the second time in three games that the SMU sophomore has led the team in scoring. … Cherie Kulig (Independence, Wis.) was held to seven points vs. the Scots. Kulig has scored 10 or more points in each of SMU's first two games. … Miller and Kulig lead the team in scoring, averaging 11.3 ppg and 10.3 ppg, respectively. … After scoring a career-best 15 points vs. UW-River Falls on Nov. 25, Michelle Carne (Escanaba, Mich.) was limited to eight points vs. the Scots. … The Cardinals were held to a season-low 15 points in the first half vs. Macalester. It was SMU's lowest offensive output for a half since St. Thomas held the Cardinals to 13 second-half points in an 86-35 UST win on Nov. 29, 2006. … SMU has now been held to 20 points or less in the first half of each of its first three games. … After making just 11 of 28 3-pointers in their first two games, the Cardinals drained a season-best six 3-pointers vs. Macalester. … SMU has been outscored 108-51 in the first half. … Today's game is the fourth seven straight road games for the Cardinals, who do not play on their home floor until a Jan. 3 meeting against Saint Benedict. … The Cardinals are now 1-13 in their last 14 road games, with their lone road win a 57-54 victory over St. Olaf on Jan. 5, 2008.

Royal Notes: Wednesday's loss vs. Saint Benedict was just the second game of the season for the Royals, who opened their season with a 77-68 victory over UM-Morris on Nov. 25. … The Royals' 36 points against the Blazers Wednesday marked Bethel's lowest offensive output since managing just managing 30 points in a 59-30 setback to Carleton on Jan. 21, 2004. … Bethel failed to score 20 points in either half vs. CSB, trailing 47-19 in the first half and 26-17 in the second half. … Taylor Sheley was the only Royal to reach double figures vs. CSB, scoring a team-best 10 points. … All-MIAC First-Teamer Annagret Nautsch, who scored a team-leading 22 points in Bethel's season-opening win vs. UM-Morris, was held to just eight points vs. Saint Benedict. … Nautsch leads the team in scoring, averaging 15.0 ppg, while Shana Grejtak and Kristen Wolters share the team lead in rebounds, averaging 4.5 rpg. … Alexa Gromes boasts a team-high 10 assists in two games. … The Royals have been outscored 83-56 in the first half, but have been outpointed by just one, 58-57, over the game's final 20 minutes.