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WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University women's basketball team enters Saturday's showdown with league-leading St. Thomas boasting a five-game winning streak — the Cardinals' longest streak since winning 19 in a row to open the 1985-86 season.

St. Thomas, meanwhile, headed into the SMU Gym Saturday owning a 14-game winning streak — the Tommies' longest since winning 26 in a row during the 1999-2000 season.

Something had to give — and someone's streak had to end.

Unfortunately for coach Mandy Pearson, it was the Cardinals', as UST held off a furious SMU second-half charge in handing Saint Mary's a 56-49 setback.

The Cardinals knocked down the first basket of the game, a Jamie Stefely (Lisle, Ill.) layup 14 seconds into the game. Over the next 19-46, however, SMU would manage just two more field goals – both by Brittany Begrowicz (Des Plaines, Ill.) – as UST raced to a 25-9 halftime advantage.

Following the break, the Cardinals looked more like the team that had won eight of its first 12 conference games, as SMU – fue14-98led by the performance of Jessica Thone (Woodbury, Minn.) – whittled away at the Tommie lead, eventually cutting it to six, 51-45, with 52 seconds remaining in regulation.

That, however, would be as close as the Cardinals would get, as UST made four free throws down the stretch to seal the win.

Thone finished with a game-high 17 points – including 12 of SMU's 145 points during a 14-9 run that got SMU back in the game. Stefely chipped i8n 13 poitns and added 11 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season.

Maggie Weiers finished with 11 points, while Kelly Brandenburg chipped in 10 for the Tommies.

SMU (8-5 MIAC, 8-8 overall) are back in action on Wednesday, traveling to ST. Joseph, Minn., for a 7:30 p.m. conference game against Saint Benedict.