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COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University men's basketball team got off to a slow start, surrendering the game's first seven points, and the Cardinals never recovered in falling to Saint John's 77-50 Wednesday in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference game at Sexton Arena.

Will Swiggum (St. Charles, Minn.) scored a team-high 12 points for the Cardinals, hitting 3 of 9 field goals, including a 1-for-2 showing from behind the 3-point line, while adding a 5-for-6 effort from the free throw line.

SJU jumped out to a 7-0 lead and quickly pushed that advantage to 22-5 with seven minutes left in the opening half. The Johnnies, who shot 48.6 percent from the field (18-for-37) in the game's opening 20 minutes, headed into the locker room with a 43-25 advantage.

After shooting 35 percent from the field in the first half, the Cardinals knocked down just six second-half field goals, going 6-for-26, en route to its second straight 25-point half. The Johnnies, meanwhile, made 13 of 26 field goals in the game's final 20 minutes, outscoring SMU 34-25 to seal the win.

Mitchell Kuck scored a game-high 16 points to lead three SJU players in double figures, with Chris Neumann chipping in 15 points and Alex Schmitt added 13.

The Cardinals close out the 2012-13 season on Saturday, hosting Augsburg in a 3 p.m. conference game at the SMU Gym. It will be the final collegiate game for SMU seniors Josh Bennett (North St. Paul, Minn.), Tom Gores (Rochester, Minn.), Michael Burfeind (Lewiston, Minn.), Joe Murray (Burr Ridge, Ill.) and Brian Thomas (Bellwood, Ill.).