NAPERVILLE, Ill. — The Saint Mary's University women's basketball team closes out the 2013 portion of its schedule with its final nonconference game of the season on Saturday, as the Cardinals square off against North Central. Tip is set for 2 p.m.

The Matchup:
Saint Mary's Cardinals (5-1 Overall) at North Central Cardinals (6-3 Overall)

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Last Action:
The Cardinals knocked down nine 3-pointers in cruising to a 68-57 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference victory over St. Olaf at Skoglund Center in Northfield, Minn., on Dec. 9. … North Central boasting eight players in double figures in cruising past Dominican University 124-64 on Dec. 19 in River Forest, Ill.

SMU vs. North Central — Their Last Meeting:
Saturday's game is the first-ever meeting between Saint Mary's and North Central. The Cardinals took part in the North Central Tournament in Naperville, Ill., a year ago, but did not face the host school.

Up Next:
The Cardinals are now off until Jan. 4, when SMU returns to Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play — heading to Moorhead, Minn., for a 1 p.m. showdown with Concordia. … North Central is right back on the court on Monday, as the Cardinals host Aurora in a 7 p.m. contest in Naperville, Ill.

Scouting The Saint Mary's Cardinals:
2013-14 Roster | 2013-14 Statistics | 2013-14 Schedule
Thanks to their 68-57 win over St. Olaf in their final game before the semester break, the Cardinals head into Saturday's matchup with North Central having won two straight, five of their last six, 10 of their previous 12 and 19 of the last 22 over the past two seasons. … The Cardinals have now opened the season 5-1 for the second straight year. … Saint Mary's drained a season-high nine 3-pointers in its 68-57 win over St. Olaf on Dec. 9 — with Darcey Rice (Eagan, Minn.), Sara Schoenthaler (White Bear Lake, Minn.) and Bridget Pethke (New London, Wis.) accounting for all nine. Rice tossed in four treys, while Schoenthaler and Pethke added three and two, respectively. … SMU's nine 3-pointers are the most since tossing in nine against St. Olaf on Jan. 16, 2013. … Schoenthaler finished with a career-high 15 points against the Oles on Dec. 9. … Rice's 12 points against the Oles equaled her career high. The senior has now hit the 12-point mark three times in her collegiate career. … Courtney Euerle (Litchfield, Minn.) was held to four points against St. Olaf on Dec. 9, marking the first time this season the senior has been held under 10 points in a game. … Euerle — an All-MIAC honorable-mention and MIAC All-Defensive Team selection for the second straight season last year — has scored 10 or more points 32 times in her collegiate career. … Shelby Auseth (Wanamingo, Minn.), who has led the team in scoring in three of its six games, netted a career-high 18 points against Bethel on Dec. 4. … Euerle and Auseth head into Saturday's game at North Central averaging in double figures at 11.5 ppg and 10.2 ppg, respectively. … Euerle also leads the team in rebounding, hauling in 42 boards (7.0 rpg) in six games. … Pethke, who leads the team with 32 assists, equaled her career-best with seven assists vs. St. Olaf on Dec. 9. It was the second time this season and sixth time in her collegiate career that Pethke has hit the seven-assist mark. … Fueled by their nine 3-pointers vs. St. Olaf, the Cardinals have now drained 36 treys this season — led by Rice (10) and Schoenthaler (7). … SMU heads into Saturday's game at North Central averaging 75.3 ppg, while limiting its opponents to just 54.5 ppg. … With their win over Saint Benedict on Dec. 7, the Cardinals improved to 14-1 on their home court over the last two seasons — the lone loss coming at the hands of regular-season conference champion Concordia on Feb. 3, 2013. … The Cardinals' 67-64 win over Saint Benedict on Dec. 7 was their fifth straight against the Blazers. … The Cardinals broke a pair of long-standing school records with their 107-29 victory over Crown on Nov. 23. The Cardinals' 107 points were a school record — breaking the previous high of 106 set in a 106-30 win over Carleton on Feb. 19, 1986. SMU's 78-point margin of victory was also a new school record, two points better than the old mark of 76, also set during that Feb. 19, 1986 win over Carleton. … The Cardinals have now started 3-0 in each of their last two seasons. … Thanks to their 53-44 win over Macalester on Nov. 21, the Cardinals have opened conference play with a victory in each of the last four years.

Scouting The North Central Cardinals:
2013-14 Roster | 2013-14 Statistics | 2013-14 Schedule
With their win over Dominican on Dec. 19, the Cardinals have now won back-to-back games and three of their last four. … North Central set a school record for points with their 124-point effort against Dominican on Dec. 19. It was the second straight game and fifth time in their six victories that the Cardinals have eclipsed the 100-point barrier. … North Central's 124 points eclipsed the previous school record set earlier this season in a 123-99 victory over Lake Forest College, Nov. 20. … The Cardinals' record-setting performance against Dominican marked the fifth time in the last two seasons that North Central has broken its single-game scoring record. … On the flip side, North Central has allowed 100 or more points five times, including 124 in a 124-99 loss to the University of Dubuque on Dec. 14. … North Central heads into Saturday's game against Saint Mary's leading all of NCAA Division III, averaging 101.3 ppg. … The Cardinals boasted eight players in double figures in their school record-setting 124-point performance against Dominican on Dec. 19. LarynnShumaker led the way with 18 points, followed by Kelsey Cooling (17), Uzuri Williams (14), Erica Buck (11), Emily Zgoda (11), Paula Zerante (10), Marion Boeck (10)and Kimberly Wilson (10) … Surprisingly, Schumaker (14.3 ppg) is the only Cardinal averaging in double figures. … Schumaker has accounted for North Central's top three individual scoring performances, including a season-high 25 points against Ripon Nov. 15. … North Central has knocked down 111 3-pointers this season — which leads the nation. … Wilson and Lauren Hernandez have each drained a team-best 17 3-pointers through nine games, while Maryssa Cladis and Miranda Grizaffi have each added 14. … Saturday's game is the second time this season the Cardinals have faced "Saint Mary's" — having beaten Saint Mary's (Ind.) College 90-89 on Dec. 7. … The Cardinals' showdown with Saint Mary's on Saturday is the first of three straight home games for North Central.