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WINONA, Minn. – It may take the Saint Mary's University women's basketball team a little while – no, make that 20 minutes – to get warmed up, but once they do, look out.

The Cardinals, who have made a habit of rallying from halftime deficits this season, were at it again Saturday afternoon, as SMU erased a five-point Macalester lead, outscoring the Scots 34-24 over the game's final 20 minutes en route to a 57-52 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference victory at the SMU Gym.

The Cardinals trailed by as many as seven in the game's opening 20 minutes, before a 9-2 run, capped by a Jamie Stefely (Lisle, Ill.) three-point play, tied the game at 20-20 with 4:57 remaining.

SMU managed just three points over those final five minutes, as Macalester – fueled by an half-ending 10-3 – grabbed a five-point, 28-23, advantage at the break.

But the Cardinals were just getting warmed up.

SMU capped an 11-5 run to open the second half with a 3-pointer from Brittany Begrowicz (Des Plaines, Ill.), as Cardinals grabbed their first lead of the game, 34-33, with seven minutes remaining.

Neither team would lead by more than three over the game's next 11 minutes, with the teams staring at a 49-49 deadlock with 3:34 on the clock. A Courtney Euerle (Litchfield, Minn.) basket at 1:12 gave  Cardinals a 53-50 advantage – and SMU never looked back, scoring four of the game's final five points to seal their 11th conference win of the season.

Jessica Thone (Woodbury, Minn.) scored a game-high 20 points and led three SMU players in double figures, while Stefely added 18 points and 11 rebounds for her seventh double-double of the season, and Euerle finished with 12 points and eight boards.

The Cardinals (11-7 MIAC, 11-10 overall) are back in action on Wednesday, traveling to St. Peter, Minn., for a 7:30 p.m. showdown with playoff-bound Gustavus.