Box Score  | GameDay Preview

WINONA, Minn. — It wasn't the 39-point second-half outburst the Saint Mary's University women's basketball team put together Saturday afternoon in a 57-49 win over Augsburg — but it was enough.

Just two days after rallying for their third straight win with that 39-point effort against the Auggies, the Cardinals scored 32 second-half points Monday evening against Hamline, rallying from a seven-point halftime deficit to beat the Pipers 52-49 at the SMU Gym.

After struggling to find their shooting touch in the opening half, the Cardinals came to life over the game's final 20 minutes, shooting 54 percent from the field (13-for-24), while also knocking down three of their four 3-pointers.

Trailing by seven, 27-20, at the break, the Cardinals immediately began chipping away at the Pipers' lead, grabbing their first lead of the game, 43-42, on a 3-pointer by Corrine McCallum (Shoreview, Minn.) with 8:10 remaining in regulation.

The Pipers answered with five straight points to regain a four-point, 47-43 lead, lead. Brittany Begrowicz (Des Plaines, Ill.) scored from underneath to cap a 4-0 run that tie the game at 47-47, and Jamie Stefely (Lisle, Ill.) scored on a put-back to put SMU back out front, 49-47 with just over three minutes on the clock.

The two teams traded baskets — SMU's coming on Stefely's second straight put-back, before Jessica Thone (Woodbury, Minn.) made one of two free throws to put the Cardinals up by three, 52-49. Hamline had two chances to tie the game, but Kara Poirier's desperation threes both missed the mark.

Thone finished with a game-high 15 points for the Cardinals, as the junior guard went 4-for-6 from the field — including a 2-for-4 effort from behind the 3-point line — and added a 5 of 8 effort from the free throw line. Thone also grabbed a pair of rebounds, recorded seven assists and had four steal.

Stefely notched her fourth double-double of the season for the Cardinals, chipping in 14 points and 10 boards, while Poirier scored 13 points and Jordan Sammons tallied 12 points and 12 rebounds to pace Hamline (3-8 MIAC, 4-10 overall).

The Cardinals (7-4 MIAC, 7-7 overall) — who have won four straight for the first time since winning four in a row from Feb. 2-9, 2005 — will set their sights on a fifth consecutive win on Wednesday, when they travel to Carleton for a 7:30 p.m. MIAC contest.