Box Score  | GameDay Preview

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University men's basketball team put together one of its best second halves of the season, rallying from an 11-point halftime deficit to pull even with Macalester, 48-48, with just over eight minutes remaining in regulation in the teams' Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference game Wednesday evening.

Unfortunately for the Cardinals, the Scots proved to be near-perfect from the free throw line over the game's final eight minutes, knocking down 11 of 13 attempts from the charity stripe in handing SMU a 70-63 conference setback at Leonard Center.

After shooting just 30 percent from the field (8-for-27) in the game's opening 20 minutes, the Cardinals heated over in the second half, draining 15 of their 28 second-half field goal attempts, while also going 9-for-10 from the free throw line.

No one was hotter over the game's final 20 minutes than SMU's Michael Burfeind. The senior forward was held without a point in the first half, before erupting for 18 second-half points to lead the Cardinals in scoring for the eighth straight game.

With Burfeind leading the charge, SMU used a 20-4 run to take a five-point, 43-38 advantage seven minutes into the second half. Macalester would tie the game at 43-43, but SMU regained the lead, 45-43, on a Burfeind jumper with 10:15 on the clock.

That, however, would be the last time SMU would hold the advantage, as Macalester rebuilt its lead to as many as nine — thanks in large part to its dead-eye accuracy from the free throw line — before settling for the seven-point victory.

With his 18 points, Burfeind was one of three Cardinals in double figures Wednesday. Evan Pederson (Onalaska, Wis.) chipped in 15 points and added six assists, while Tom Gores (Rochester, Minn.) finished with 13 points and five helpers.

Justin Wasik scored a game-high 24 points ¬— going 10-for-13 from the field with two three-pointers and a 2-for-2 effort from the free throw line — to lead the way for Macalester. Sam Marshall and Kyle Bernhard also scored in double figures for the Scots, netting 15 and 11 points respectively.

The Cardinals are back in action on Saturday, when they host Bethel in a 3 p.m. conference game at the SMU Gym.