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WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University women's basketball team spotted Macalester the game's first four points, and then put the pedal to the metal and cruised to a 51-40 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference victory Wednesday evening at the SMU Gym.

Trailing 4-0, the Cardinals went on an 11-minute, 16-0 run to grab a 16-4 lead and left the Scots in their rearview mirror in pushing their conference record to 6-3.

Courtney Euerle (Litchfield, Minn.) led the way for the Cardinals, scoring a game-high 12 points on 6 of 10 shooting from the field. The junior forward missed her second double-double of the season by one rebound, finishing with a game-best nine boards. Jamie Stefely (Lisle, Ill.) chipped in 10 points and five rebounds for the Cardinals.

Fueled by their early, 16-0 burst, the Cardinals coasted to a 29-14 halftime advantage. Macalester made a brief, second-half run — cutting SMU's lead to five, 37-32 — but SMU closed out the game scoring 14 of the final 22 points to seal the win.

SMU shot 36 percent from the field (23-for-64), including a 3 of 15 showing from behind the 3-point line, while attempting just two free throws — both successfully converted by Adrianna Stephens (Madison, Wis.)

Macalester, which got a team-high nine points from Taylor Pike, struggled to find their shooting touch — especially in the first half, when the Scots shot just 19 percent from the field (5-for-26). The Scots finished shooting 29 percent (15-for-51) and made all eight of their free throws.

The Cardinals (6-3 MIAC, 9-3 overall) are back in action — and back on their home court — on Saturday, as SMU hosts Bethel in a 1 p.m. MIAC game at the SMU Gym.