ARDEN HILLS, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University men's basketball team is back on the road on Wednesday, as the Cardinals travel to Robertson Center for a 7:30 p.m. MIAC game against Bethel.

The Matchup:
Saint Mary's Cardinals (1-9 MIAC | 2-13 Overall) at Bethel Royals (5-5 MIAC | 9-6 Overall)

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Last Action:
Will Swiggum (St. Charles, Minn.) scored a team-high 18 points, but Augsburg used a pair of big second-half runs to pull away from the Cardinals in handing SMU a 97-60 MIAC setback at Si Melby Hall in Minneapolis, Minn. … Bethel managed just 25 points in the first half and never recovered in falling to St. Olaf 78-45 Monday at Skoglund Center in Northfield, Minn.

SMU vs. Bethel — Earlier This Year:
December 4, 2013: Bethel did everything it could to run away from SMU in the teams' conference-opener. And every time it appeared like the Royals would be able shift into cruise control, the Cardinals would reappear in their rear view mirror. Almost every time. After the Cardinals clawed back from a 16-point deficit just before half to make it a one-point game midway through the second stanza, Bethel used one final run — a 13-4 burst — to put the game out of reach, as the Royals dealt SMU a 69-58 setback at the SMU Gym.

SMU vs. Bethel — A Year Ago:
January 12, 2013: Michael Burfeind (Lewiston, Minn.) scored a game-high 26 points, and the SMU defense held BU leading scorer Taylor Hall to just nine points ¬— 13 below his season average — as the Cardinals beat the Royals 75-72 at the SMU Gym.
February 9, 2013: It was a hot-and-cold afternoon at the Robertson Center. Unfortunately for SMU, it was host Bethel that enjoyed the hot half of that equation. The Royals shot a sizzling 58 percent from the field, knocking down 34 of 59 field goals — including nine 3-pointers — as Bethel handed SMU a 94-46 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference setback in Arden Hills, Minn.

Up Next:
The Cardinals will play their sixth game in the last two weeks on Saturday, as SMU entertains Saint John's in a 3 p.m. MIAC game at the SMU Gym. … Bethel heads back to the Robertson Center in Arden Hills, Minn., on Saturday, as the Royals host Macalester in a 3 p.m. conference contest.

Scouting The Saint Mary's Cardinals:
2013-14 Roster | 2013-14 Statistics | 2013-14 Schedule
Wednesday's game at Bethel is the second straight road game for the Cardinals. … Will Swiggum (St. Charles, Minn.) tossed in a team-high 18 points against Augsburg Monday. … Swiggum's 18-point effort against the Auggies equaled his season high. The sophomore also scored 18 points against Crown on Nov. 23. … Evan Pederson (Onalaska, Wis.) and Wylie Ferron (Waconia, Minn.) also scored in double figures vs. Augsburg Monday, with Pederson chipping in 14 points and Ferron finishing with 10. … Pederson has now scored in double figures in three straight games and seven times this season. … Pederson owns the Cardinals' top individual single-game performance this season, scoring a game-, season- and career-best 29 points against Macalester on Jan. 2. … Pederson's 29-point effort vs. Macalester was the highest single-game performance since Michael Burfeind scored 38 points against Concordia on Dec. 7, 2011. … Pederson has now scored 20 or more points twice this season, having netted 21 points against Saint John's on Dec. 7. … Ronnie Ortiz (Dayton, Ohio) scored a team- and career-high 18 points against Carleton on Jan. 13. Ortiz is one of seven Cardinals who have recorded career-high games of 10 or more points this season — Pederson (29 points) Trent Vix (Rushford, Minn. / 13), Ferron (18), Bakari Collins (Kenosha, Wis. / 14), Aaron Romportl (Stillwater, Minn. / 13) and Johnny Spillane (West St. Paul, Minn. / 10). … Swiggum, who enters Wednesday's showdown at Bethel boasting a team-leading 11.3 ppg scoring average — while also leading the team in rebounds with 112 (7.9 rpg) — owns three of SMU's four double-doubles this season and six double-doubles over his two-year collegiate career. … Ferron accounted for SMU's other double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds vs. Crown on Nov. 23. … Swiggum equaled his career high with 14 rebounds against Bethany Lutheran on Dec. 11. … Pederson also enters Wednesday's game at Bethel averaging in double figures at 10.4 ppg. … Pederson leads the team with 63 assists. … Pederson equaled his career-high with nine assists vs. Crown on Nov. 23. It was the third time in his career — and second time in two meetings with Crown — the junior has recorded nine assists. … As a team, SMU has recorded 68 3-pointers this season — including a season-high 10 against Carleton on Jan. 13. … Vix is the team's 3-point leader with 19, while Pederson and Swiggum are tied for second with 11 each. … SMU's 67-51 win over Macalester on Jan. 2 was Jamison Rusthoven's first MIAC win as SMU's head coach. Rusthoven earned his first collegiate head coaching victory on Nov. 23, when the Cardinals dropped Crown 86-81 in overtime. … SMU's 86-81 win against Crown was the Cardinals' first overtime contest since Dec. 29, 2010, when the Cardinals outlasted Millikin 66-59 in double-OT. … SMU's 86 points against the Storm on Nov. 23 were the most since netting 87 points in an 87-80 win over Macalester on Dec. 4, 2010.

Scouting The Bethel Royals:
2013-14 Roster | 2013-14 Statistics | 2013-14 Schedule
Monday's 78-45 loss at St. Olaf pushed Bethel's losing streak to a season-high three straight. … The Royals were held to a season-low 45 points against the Oles Monday — it was also just the second time in 15 games that BU has been held under 67 points in a game. … Aden Casey came off the bench to score a career-high 16 points to lead the Royals against St. Olaf Monday. … Casey's team-high 16-point effort snapped a streak of five straight games in which Brycen Wojta led the team in scoring. … Wojta has scored 20 or more points seven times this season, including a season-high 27-point showing against Augsburg on Jan. 18. … Wojta was held to a season-low three points against St. Olaf Monday, snapping a streak of four consecutive games scoring 20 or more points. … Bethel enters Wednesday's game against Saint Mary's boasting a pair of players averaging in double figures — Wojta (17.1 ppg) and Kyle Zimmerman (12.6 ppg). … Zimmerman is also the team-lead in rebounds with 80 (8.9 rpg). … Bethel has drained 98 3-pointers this season, led by Trevor Hall and Tyler Schmidt with 21 and Wojta with 18. … Wojta also enters Wednesday's game as the team's assist leader with 48. … St. Olaf forced the Royals into a season-high 17 turnovers Monday. … Bethel had its season-opening six-game winning streak snapped with a 76-74 loss to Carleton on Dec. 11. … BU has outscored its opponents by one point — 1,003-1,002 — through 15 games. … Six of Bethel's nine wins have come on the road, where BU is 6-3. The Royals are just 3-3 on their home court.