Box Score  | GameDay Preview

ELMHURST, Ill. — The Saint Mary's University women's basketball team kicked off its season Tuesday evening against Elmhurst — a team entering its fourth game of the season with an unblemished 3-0 record.

Yet, after the game's opening 20 minutes, it was the Cardinals who looked to be in mid-season form, as SMU raced out to a 12-point, 34-22 halftime advantage.

Unfortunately for the Cardinals, the second half belonged to the Bluejays, as Elmhurst outscored SMU 41-24 in handing Saint Mary's a 63-58 nonconference setback.

“I thought we played very well, especially for our first game of the season,” said SMU coach Mandy Pearson. “We did a lot of good things, we just made some bad decisions with the ball in the second half and that really hurt us.”

As sizzling as the Cardinals were from the field in the first half — when SMU went 13-for-29 — Elmhurst was equally as hot to open the second half, using a 19-6 run in the first 10 minutes to take 41-40 — a lead the Bluejays would never relinquish.

SMU tied the game on three separate occasions down the stretch, including 55-55 on a Jessica Thone (Woodbury, Minn.) 3-pointer with 3:17 remaining in regulation, but the Cardinals could never get over the hump.

Thone finished with a team-high 19 points for the Cardinals, going 7-for-20 from the field — including 2-for-5 from behind the 3-point line — while also adding a 3-for-5 effort from the free throw line. Adrianna Stephens (Madison, Wis.), make her collegiate debut, chipped in 10 points for SMU, while Jamie Stefely (Lisle, Ill.) hauled in a game-high 11 rebounds.

Meghan Merklein tallied 17 points and Megan Ney added 10 for the Bluejays, who won for the fourth straight time.

The Cardinals (0-1 overall) kick off Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play on Wednesday, Nov. 30, hosting Carleton in a 7:30 p.m. game at the SMU Gym.