Last Action: Macalester pulled down 17 offensive rebounds — including three huge offensive boards off missed free throws in the final minutes Wednesday, as the Scots handed the Cardinals a 61-48 conference setback at the SMU Gym. Bethel, meanwhile, was outscored 36-23 in the second half, as Saint Benedict dealt the Royals a 60-45 loss in the teams' conference opener in Arden Hills, Minn., on Wednesday.

A Year Ago: SMU and Bethel split their two MIAC contests a year ago, with each team winning on their home floor.

December 6, 2008: The Royals raced out to a 39-23 halftime advantage and never looked back in handing SMU its fourth straight loss, 77-60 in Arden Hills, Minn.

January 24, 2009: The Cardinals picked up their second straight win, but it was anything but easy. SMU saw a 14-point second-half lead vanish, watched as Bethel's Latita Martin sank two free throws in the game's final seconds to force an overtime, had victory snatched from their grasp when Autumn Beasley's 3-pointer knotted things up to force OT No. 2, then finally put away the pesky Royals on a field goal by Jesa Hall and a pair of free throws by Brittany Begrowicz (Des Plaines, Ill.) in a 73-69 victory at the SMU Gym.

Saint Mary's Cardinal Notes: After three straight road games to open the season, the Cardinals are in Leg 2 of a stretch of four straight home games. … Cherie Kulig (Independence, Wis.) and Jess Miller (Carver, Minn.) each scored 11 points to lead the Cardinals in Wednesday's game vs. Macalester. … Miller made her 54th straight career start Wednesday vs. Macalester. … Jessica Thone (Woodbury, Minn.) who scored a team-leading 12 points in leading SMU to a 61-59 win over Elmhurst on Nov. 22, was named to the University of Chicago Midway Classic All-Tournament Team. … Kulig enters tonight's conference game vs. Bethel leading the team in scoring (9.0 ppg), followed by Miller (8.0 ppg) and Thone (6.5 ppg). … As a team, SMU is shooting 36 percent from the field (72-for-196) and 66 percent from the free throw line (27-for-41).

Bethel Royal Notes: Today's game is just the third of the season for the Royals, who opened with a 68-56 loss to UM-Morris on Nov. 24, before falling to Saint Benedict 60-45 on Wednesday. … Taylor Sheley scored a team-best 14 points for the Royals vs. CSB Wednesday, while Kristi Nye also finished in double figures, scoring 10 points. … Amy Werner, making her first collegiate start, finished with a team-best nine rebounds vs. Saint Benedict. … Sheley has now scored 14 points in each of Bethel's two games and is the only Royal averaging in double figures. … As a team, the Royals have shot just 30 percent from the field (32-for-106), while knocking down 32 of 49 free throws (65 percent).