Game Summary vs. CSC / GameDay Online

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The dreaded late-half run has been the Saint Mary's University women's basketball team's Achilles' heel this season.

And Saturday afternoon proved to be no different.

The Cardinals, trailing by just one, 15-14, with less than seven minutes remaining in the first half, were outscored 15-6 to end the opening 20 minutes — and they never recover, as St. Catherine held off a late rally with a game-ending 17-5 run to hand the Cardinals a 60-51 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference setback.

St. Catherine pushed its lead to a game-high 14, 39-25 on a 3-pointer by Brooke Hakanson. But the Cardinals responded, scoring 18 of the next 21 points to make it a one-point game, 43-42, with 4:59 remaining in regulation.

That, however, would be as close as SMU would get, as another late-half run, this one a 17-5 Wildcat advantage, sealed the Cardinals' fate.

Emily DeWitt (Lino Lakes, Minn.) scored a team-high 10 points for the Cardinals, who shot 33 percent from the field, but were just 6 of 17 from behind the 3-point line. Cherie Kulig (Independence, Wis.) and Jess Miller (Carver, Minn.) each chipped in nine points in the losing effort, while CSB's Laura Kalbfell netted a game-high 27 points and pulled down 12 boards for the Wildcats.

The Cardinals are back in action Wednesday, playing host to
Hamline in a 7:30 p.m. conference game at the SMU Gym.