Box Score  | GameDay Preview

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University men's basketball team boasted a pair of double-figure scorers in Will Swiggum (St. Charles, Minn.) and Evan Pederson (Onalaska, Wis.), but the Cardinals could not shut down high-powered St. Thomas, as the league-leading and No. 1-ranked Tommies handed SMU an 87-46 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference setback Wednesday at Schoenecker Arena.

Swiggum netted a team-best 15 points — marking the sixth straight game and the 10th time this season the freshman forward has scored in double figures — while Pederson chipped in 10 points and six assists for the Cardinals.

The two teams traded baskets to open the game, but the Tommies then went on an 18-6 run to take a 20-8 lead with 11:52 remaining in the opening half. UST, which shot 65 percent from the field in the game's first 20 minutes — hitting 19 of 29 field goals — pushed their advantage to as many as 25, before taking a 45-23 advantage into the locker room at the break.

UST continued to have the hot hand in the second half, knocking down 14 of 33 field goal attempts — including four 3-pointers — in outscoring SMU 42-23 over the game's final 20 minutes.

The Tommies, who suffered their first loss of the season on Monday at Concordia, boasted four players in double figures, led by John Nance with 15. Will DeBerg chipped in 13 points, and Tommy Hannon and Zach Riedeman added 12 and 10, respectively for UST (12-1 MIAC, 17-1 overall).

The Cardinals are now off until next Wednesday, when they travel to Gus Young Court in St. Peter, Minn., for a 7:30 p.m. conference game against Gustavus.