Box Score Game Summary / GameDay Preview

ST. PAUL, Minn. — For the first 20 minutes of Monday's game against unbeaten and nationally ranked St. Thomas, the Saint Mary's University men's basketball team played the game it wanted to.

The Cardinals gave the seventh-ranked Tommies — who a blistering 63 percent in the first half — all they could handle and trailed by just seven, 42-35, at halftime.

The first six minutes of the second half, however, were a completely different story.
St. Thomas deployed a high-pressure, full-court press and used a 20-0 run out of the break to run away with a 90-58 MIAC victory, on Monday night at Schoenecker Arena in the Anderson Athletic and Recreation Complex.

The loss snaps a six-game winning streak for the Cardinals, dropping them to 8-2 overall and 3-2 in MIAC play.

“Their pressure really ate into us,” SMU coach Todd Landrum said. “We had a plan on how to break it, and it's my fault we didn't execute it properly.”

After committing just five turnovers in the first half, SMU turned it over eight times in the first six minutes of the second half, and accompanied that by missing it's first seven shots. UST (10-0, 5-0) had no problem taking advantage, as they turned all eight turnovers into points.

“We came out and just didn't execute in the second half,” SMU sophomore Chris Palmer (Faribault, Minn.) said. “We just didn't attack the pressure the way we needed to and we paid for it.”

Palmer was certainly one of the bright spots for the Cardinals, scoring a game-high 25 points and pulling down a game-high 11 rebounds, all while fighting through the Tommies' physical post play.

“Chris Palmer is the ultimate competitor,” Landrum said. “He is the toughest, most competitive player on our team and he is absolutely fearless.”

St. Thomas was red-hot from the field as they shot 60 percent (34-56) from the field, and has now won its last 52 games when they shoot better than 50 percent or better from the field. SMU, meanwhile, shot 36 percent from the field (18-for-49).

Will Wright (Chicago, Ill.) also scored in double figures for the Cardinals, netting 18 points, while Alex Healy scored 18 points to lead four UST players scoring in double figures.

SMU returns to action on Wednesday, when the Cardinals host St. Olaf in a 7:30 p.m. contest at the SMU Gym.