WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University women's basketball team picked up a pair of key Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference wins last week, and Shelby Auseth (Wanamingo, Minn.) played a major role.

Auseth boasted team highs in points in both of the Cardinals' games last week, as the sophomore tossed in a team- and game-high 19 points in SMU's 77-47 win over St. Catherine last Wednesday, then followed that up with a team-best 10 points in a 56-54 win over ninth-ranked St. Thomas on Saturday.

Monday afternoon, Auseth was rewarded for her efforts, as she was named MIAC Women's Basketball Athletic of the Week, the conference office announced.

Auseth kicked off her week by knocking down 9 of 11 field goals — including a 3-pointer — en route to her 19-point effort against St. Catherine. And, for the second game in a row — and sixth time this season — Auseth was the team's offensive leader against ninth-ranked St. Thomas, 4 of 9 field goals with a pair of 3-pointers in the two-point victory.

For the week, Auseth averaged 14.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, while shooting an outstanding 65.0 percent from the floor.

Auseth, who scored a career-high 28 points in SMU's 99-81 win over North Central (Ill.) on Dec. 28, has scored in double figures in seven of the team's 10 games and enters Monday's matchup with Carleton averaging a team-best 13.0 ppg.

With Auseth leading the charge, the Cardinals head into Monday's game with Carleton riding a six-game winning streak, while boasting a 6-1 record in conference play and a 9-1 overall mark. Thanks to their back-to-back wins over St. Catherine and St. Thomas, the Cardinals have started the season with nine wins in their first 10 games since 1985-86, when Saint Mary's opened 19-0 en route to a 24-3 overall record and berth in the NCAA national tournament. …