Box Score  | GameDay Preview

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University women's basketball team headed into Saturday's regular-season finale against St. Thomas looking to do something that no other Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference team had been able to do this season — beat the Tommies.

UST — which had already locked up the MIAC regular-season title and the No. 1 seed for the upcoming conference tournament — entered Saturday's showdown with the playoff-bound Cardinals 21-0 in league play.

Unfortunately for the Cardinals, the Tommies exited Schoenecker Arena a perfect 22-0, as the Tommies built an eight-point halftime lead and never let the Cardinals claw their way back in handing SMU a 64-51 setback.

The Tommies, who ran their winning streak to 24 and became just the fifth conference women's team to finish 20-0 or 22-0 on the regular season, built a 32-24 halftime lead and led by as many as 16 in the second half in cruising to the win.

Jamie Stefely (Lisle, Ill.) scored a game-high 21 points for the Cardinals, while Jessica Thone (Woodbury, Minn.) chipped in 15. The Cardinals shot 38 percent from the field (18-for-47), while going 12-for-16 from the free throw line.

St. Thomas got 14 points from Taylor Young and 12 from Sarah Smith. UST's bench outscored SMU's 34-8.

The loss to the Tommies, however, was just a blip on the Cardinals' playoff radar screen. SMU — which will be making its first MIAC post-season appearance since the 2004-2005 season — can now turn their focus to Tuesday's tournament-opener at St. Olaf.

The Oles had the upper hand in both meetings against the Cardinals this season, beating SMU 76-64 in Winona on Dec. 3, then completing the sweep with a 57-47 victory in Northfield, Minn., on Jan. 28. Since that second loss to the Oles, however, the Cardinals have won four of their last seven — including back-to-back wins over Augsburg and Hamline prior to Saturday's setback vs. league-champion St. Thomas.

MIAC TOURNAMENT FAN BUS: The SMU Student Life and Athletics Departments will be sponsoring a fan bus for Tuesday's SMU women's basketball game at St. Olaf. The first 46 Cardinal fans to sign up will receive free transportation and a ticket to the game. The bus will depart from the Toner Center at 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, and will return to campus around 11:15 p.m. Sign up at the student activities office by 4:30 Monday, February 20. Space is limited to the first 46, so sign up early!