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WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University and Hamline women's basketball teams entered Monday's Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference game at the SMU Gym at opposite ends of the spectrum.

The Cardinals boasted an unblemished 4-0 mark — including victories in their first two conference contests.

The Pipers, meanwhile, were winless in their first four games, including back-to-back losses to Saint Benedict and St. Thomas to start MIAC play.

And when the two teams left the SMU Gym, nothing had changed.

SMU, behind a 16-point effort from Jessica Thone (Woodbury, Minn.) and a double-double by Jamie Stefely (Lisle, Ill.), shook off a sluggish start and cruised to win No. 5, beating Hamline 62-53.

The Pipers gave the Cardinals all they could handle in the game's opening 20 minutes, leading by as many as seven twice — including 22-15 with 6:56 remaining in the first half.

From there, it was all SMU, as the Cardinals used a half-ending 12-2 run to take a 27-24 advantage into the locker room, then outscored the Pipers 35-29 in the second half to seal the win.

Thone drained 4 of 8 field goals and was 7-for-12 from the free throw line en route to her 16 points, while Stefely — back after missing Saturday's St. Catherine game with a finger injury — poured in 15 points and added 12 rebounds for her second double-double of the season. Courtney Athnos (La Crosse, Wis.) chipped in a season-high 10 points for SMU, which improved to 5-0 for the first time since the 2004-05 season.

Kara Poirier netted 13 points and Steph Pilgrim added 12 for the Pipers, who shot 32 percent from the field (22-for-69), but committed 18 turnovers.

SMU (3-0 MIAC, 5-0 overall) is right back in action on Wednesday, traveling to St. Thomas for a 7:30 p.m. conference showdown with the fifth-ranked Tommies at Schoenecker Arena.