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ST. PAUL, Minn. — Evan Pederson (Onalaska, Wis.) scored 17 points, but it wasn't enough, as the Saint Mary's University men's basketball team closed out its 2011-2012 season with a 70-40 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference setback at St. Thomas Saturday.

The contest was the collegiate finale for SMU's three graduating seniors — Pat Freeman (Brooklyn Park, Minn.), Tim Kunkel (Northfield, Ill.) and Rod Goolsby (Chicago, Ill.) — and according to SMU assistant coach, their absence next season will truly be felt.

“All of our seniors will be missed,” Landrum said. “All will do great things, and all will be remembered for their loyalty to Saint Mary's.”

While Landrum and the coaching staff bid farewell to its seniors, it was a freshman who led the Cardinals' charge vs. UST, as Pederson netted a game- and career-high 17 points.

The Cardinals kept things close early, but St. Thomas used a 27-4 mid-game run to pull way over the game's final 20 minutes.

With the win — and Bethel's 68-52 victory at Gustavus — the Tommies earned a share of the regular-season conference title, marking the seventh straight year UST has won or shared the MIAC crown.

Noah Kaiser and Will DeBerg each scored 14 points for St. Thomas, which shot 75 percent from the field (15-for-20) in the second half in running its winning streak to five straight.

SMU closes out the season with a 5-20 overall record, including a 5-15 mark in conference play.