Box Score  | GameDay Preview

ST. PAUL, Minn. — If there's one thing Saint Mary's University women's basketball coach Mandy Pearson has learned this year, it's that no matter the situation, the Cardinals refuse to panic.

Down by as many as 15 points in the second half against Hamline Wednesday, the Cardinals came storming back, using a 21-4 burst to take the lead for good en route to a 79-70 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference win at Hutton Arena.

The first half proved to be a seesaw affair, with seven lead changes and four ties. Hamline built a lead as big as seven, 25-18, with 11:07 remaining and closed out the half by outscoring the Cardinals 5-0 to take a 39-34 lead into the locker room at the break.

Hamline continued to have the upper hand early in the second half, pushing its lead to a game-high 15, 58-43, with 14:53 left in regulation.

That's when the calm, cool and collected Cardinals went to work.

SMU scored 21 of the game's next 25 points and never looked back in winning its eighth straight, while improving to 8-1 in conference play and 11-1 overall. With the win, the Cardinals kept pace with St. Thomas (9-1) and Bethel (8-1) atop the conference standings.

Shelby Auseth (Wanamingo, Minn.) led the way for the Cardinals tossing in a team-high 16 points. Bridget Pethke (New London, Wis.) chipped in 14 points — including a 10-for-13 showing from the free throw line — while Sara Schoenthaler (White Bear Lake, Minn.), Darcey Rice (Eagan, Minn.) and Mariam Awoniyi (Country Club Hills, Ill.) also scored in double figures with 12, 11 and 10 points respectively. It was the third time this season the Cardinals have had five or more players score in double figures.

Jordan Sammon netted a game-high 31 points and added 12 rebounds to lead the way for Hamline, which also got 12 points from Chloe Graves and 11 from Chelsey Bonsante.

The Cardinals are back in action on Saturday, returning to the SMU Gym for a 1 p.m. conference matchup with Gustavus.

58-43