DECORAH, Iowa — The Saint Mary's University men's basketball team, coming off back-to-back home games to open the season — including Wednesday's 77-69 nonconference loss to UW-La Crosse — get their first road test on Saturday, as the Cardinals head to Luther for a 7 p.m. nonconference contest against the Norse.
The Records:
Saint Mary's Cardinals (1-1 Overall)
Luther Norse (0-0 Overall)
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Last Action: The Cardinals gave UW-La Crosse all it could handle Wednesday night, but four Eagle free throws in the last 13 seconds lifted UW-L to a
77-69 nonconference win over SMU at the SMU Gym. Luther, meanwhile, will be making its 2009-2010 season debut tonight, after going 7-17 overall a year ago
Last Meeting: November 23, 2007: Nick Carr scored a team-high 15 points and
Lukas Holland (La Crosse, Wis.) added 14, but it was not enough as SMU — playing Luther for the first time Dec. 10, 1976 — dropped a
77-59 decision to the Norse in the opening round of the Nebraska Wesleyan Tournament in Lincoln, Neb.
Saint Mary's Cardinal Notes: Chris Palmer (Faribault, Minn.) poured in game- and season-high 20 points — including 14 in the first half — in the losing effort to UW-La Crosse on Wednesday. It was the second time in as many games that the freshman has scored in double figures. Palmer has also pulled down 17 rebounds in two games — missing his first collegiate double-double by one board vs. the University of Dubuque and by two boards vs. UW-L. … Will Wright (Chicago, Ill.) chipped in 18 points, while Lukas Holland (La Crosse, Wis.) — who scored 25 points in SMU's season-opening win over the University of Dubuque — was held to nine points. … Wright's 18-point effort was the 25th time in SMU's 27 games that the SMU junior has scored 10 or more points. Wright has now scored in double figures in 47 of his 51 collegiate games. … Holland's game-high 25 points vs. the University of Dubuque Sunday was the third-highest offensive output of his career behind 30- and 26-point showings during his freshman season in 2007-08. … As a team, the Cardinals ranked No. 1 in the MIAC in free throws made (322), free throws attempted (443) a year ago. SMU went 20-for-27 from the charity stripe vs. the University of Dubuque on Sunday, and were 23 of 26 against UW-La Crosse.
Luther Norse Notes: The Norse, who were picked to finish sixth in the IIAC preseason coaches' poll, return two starters and 10 letterwinners from last year's team. … Luther opens the season without a senior on the roster. … Luther boasted just one player who averaged in double figures a year ago — Zac Ruckebeil (10.2 ppg) — and he graduated. … Namdi Okolue returns as the team's leading scorer, averaging 6.8 ppg a year ago. Okolue is also the team's top returning rebounding (4.9 rpg). … The Norse open with three straight home games — tonight vs. SMU, Monday vs. St. Olaf and Nov. 28 vs. Milwaukee School of Engineering — before hitting the road to face Buena Vista on Dec. 2. … Mark Franzen is entering his fourth season as Luther's head coach. He is just the sixth coach to lead the program since 1924.
