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Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Athletics

THE OFFICIAL SITE OF SAINT MARY'S UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA CARDINAL ATHLETICS
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Men's Basketball

Cardinals can't overcome slow start

Donny Nadeau, SMU Sports Information Director | dnadeau@smumn.edu

SMU's Will Swiggum battles for a loose ball during Monday's MIAC game at the SMU Gym
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WINONA, Minn. — Michael Burfeind (Lewiston, Minn.) and Will Swiggum (St. Charles, Minn.) each scored 10 points and Mark Schumacher (Perham, Minn.) chipped in nine, but it was not enough for the Saint Mary's University men's basketball team, as Saint John's pulled out to a 34-16 halftime advantage and never looked back in handing the Cardinals a 63-46 MIAC setback Monday at the SMU Gym.

The Cardinals, who gave up the game's first 14 points before rallying for a 75-72 conference victory over Bethel on Saturday, found themselves staring at another double-digit first-half deficit against the Johnnies on Monday.

This time around, however, the Cardinals could not dig themselves out, as SJU held leads as big as 20 points in the opening half, and never let SMU closer than 15 over the game's final 20 minutes in icing the victory.

With his 10 points vs. SJU, Burfeind — coming off a 26-point effort against Bethel on Saturday — has now scored in double figures in all 11 games he's played this season, while Swiggum has scored 10 or more points in back-to-back games and six times this season.

The Cardinals shot 37 percent from the field (17-for-46), while the Johnnies knocked down 28 of their 59 field goal attempts (47 percent). 

SJU was led by Seth Marx, who scored a game-high 15 points — thanks in part to a 3-for-4 effort from behind the 3-point line. Chris Neumann chipped in10 points and a team-best five rebounds for SJU (3-6 MIAC, 4-10 overall).

SMU is back in action on Wednesday, when the Cardinals travel to Skoglund Center in Northfield, Minn., for a 7:45 p.m. MIAC game against St. Olaf.
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