Box Score  | GameDay Preview

ARDEN HILLS, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University women's basketball team turned the tables on Bethel this time around.

In the teams' first meeting on Dec. 10, Bethel raced out to a 42-21 halftime advantage, then held off a furious SMU comeback in handing the Cardinals a 68-60 setback at the SMU Gym.

On Wednesday, it was the Cardinals who held the big first-half advantage and held the Royals at bay over the final 20 minutes, as SMU — behind a game-high 16 points from Jessica Thone (Woodbury, Minn.) — picked up a 46-42 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference victory at BU's Robertson Center.

The Cardinals owned a 10-point, 32-22, advantage at the break, but in the second half, SMU offense cooled. Bethel scored 16 of the first 22 points to pull even with the Cardinals, 38-38, nine minutes into the second half.

That, however, would be as close as the Royals would get, as SMU outscored BU 8-4 the rest of the way in winning for the second straight game and for the third time in their last four contests.

Along with her game-high 16 points, Thone also recorded 10 rebounds for her first double-double of the season. Jamie Stefely (Lisle, Ill.), coming off a career-high 25-point effort in the Cardinals' win over Macalester on Saturday, also finished in double figures vs. the Royals, chipping in 10 points.

The Cardinals (5-4 MIAC, 5-7 overall) are back in action on Saturday, as they travel to Minneapolis, Minn., for a 3 p.m. conference contest at Augsburg.