WINONA, Minn.  — After three straight road games, the Saint Mary's University of Minnesota women's basketball team opens the home portion of its schedule on Friday, as the Cardinals host UW-Stout in a 7 p.m. nonconference game at the Saint Mary's Gym.
 
The Matchup:
No. 23/24 Saint Mary's Cardinals (3-0 Overall) vs. UW-Stout Blue Devils (1-2 Overall)
 
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National Rankings:
• The Cardinal open the 2014-15 campaign ranked in a pair of national preseason polls. The Cardinals are ranked No. 23 in the D3hoops.com Preseason Top 25, while coming in at No. 24 in the USA Today Sports Coaches Preseason Poll | D3hoops.com | USA Today
 
Last Action:
• Saint Mary's: The Cardinals rallied from a 13-point halftime deficit Tuesday, rallying beat UW-Eau Claire 71-62 in a nonconference showdown at Zorn Arena in Eau Claire, Wis. | Recap
• UW-Stout: The Blue Devils picked up their first win of the season Thursday, holding off a late St. Catherine rally to beat the Wildcats 77-70 in a nonconference game in St. Paul, Minn.
 
Saint Mary's vs. UW-Stout—Their Last Meeting:
• February 14, 1990: Saint Mary's and UW-Stout and have not played each other since the 1989-90 season with the Blue Devils taking a 79-64 win. 
 
Up Next:
•  Saint Mary's: The Cardinals are right back in action on Saturday, traveling to St. Bonifacius, Minn., for a 3 p.m. nonconference game against Crown.
• UW-Stout: The Blue Devils head to St. Paul, Minn., on Tuesday, squaring off against Hamline in a 7 p.m. nonconference game at Hutton Arena.
 
Scouting The Saint Mary's Cardinals:
2014-15 Roster | 2014-15 Schedule | 2014-15 Statistics
Friday's game is the fourth of six straight nonconference games for the Cardinals, who kick off Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play on Dec. 3 at Hamline. … The Cardinals' matchup with UW-Stout is their home opener. Saint Mary's closed out the season 14-1 on its home court last season, the lone setback a 71-58 decision to St. Thomas in the MIAC Tournament title game. The Cardinals are now 25-2 at home over the past two seasons. … The Cardinals' wins over UW-Eau Claire, UW-River Falls and UM-Morris mark the third straight year Saint Mary's has opened the season with at least three straight wins. Saint Mary's won its first three games a year ago, while putting together a season-opening five-game winning streak during the 2012-13 season. … Saint Mary's had four players score in double figures against UW-Eau Claire. Emma Schaefer (Falcon Heights, Minn.), Molly O'Toole (Plymouth, Minn.), and Sam Jones (White Bear Lake, Minn.) all scored 12 points vs. the Blugolds, while Bridget Pethke (New London, Wis.) chipped in 11. … Tuesday's effort was the second time in three games Saint Mary's has boasted four double-figure scorers. … Shelby Auseth (Wanamingo, Minn.), who scored 18 and 24 points in Saint Mary's two wins at the Saint Benedict Quinlivan & Hughes Tip-Off Tournament last weekend, was named MIAC Athlete of the Week on Monday. … Auseth and Pethke were named to the Saint Benedict all-tournament team, with Pethke garnering tournament MVP honors. … Auseth hauled in a team-best nine rebounds for the second straight game Tuesday against UW-Eau Claire. … Auseth heads into Friday's game against UW-Stout boasting a team-leading 15.3 ppg scoring average, while also leading the team in rebounds with 22 (7.3 rpg). … Pethke (13.3 ppg) and Schaefer (10.3 ppg) are also averaging in double figures through three games. … Pethke, who finished with a single-season career-high 128 assists last season—including a career-best eight in Saint Mary's regular-season finale against Augsburg—has dished out 19 helpers in the Cardinals' first three games this season. … Pethke's 128 assists a year ago ranked No. 3 all-time. … Saint Mary's knocked down 11 3-pointers against UW-Eau Claire Tuesday—getting at least one trey from six different players. … Schaefer leads the team with seven 3-pointers, one more than Auseth, and two better than Pethke and Sara Schoenthaler (White Bear Lake, Minn.). … The Cardinals have outscored their first three opponents 110-82 in the game's opening 20 minutes. … The Cardinals made their first NCAA national tournament appearance since the 1985-86 season a year ago, falling to UW-Oshkosh 71-61 in the regional semifinal.
 
Scouting The UW-Stout Blue Devils:
2014-15 Roster | 2014-15 Schedule | 2014-15 Statistics
Friday's game against Saint Mary's is the second of three straight nonconference contests against Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opponents for the Blue Devils, who have already faced St. Catherine (W, 77-70), and will square off against Hamline on Tuesday. … The Blue Devils showdown with Saint Mary's is the fifth of six straight road games for UW-Stout. … Sarah Schoch kicked off the season in impressive fashion, scoring in double figures—and averaging 15.5 ppg—in the Blue Devils' two games at the St. Norbert Tournament last weekend. … Nine of Schoch's 11 field goals last weekend were 3-pointers. … Schoch accounted for nine of the team's 11 3-point field goals at the St. Norbert Tournament. … Jenna Goldsmith tossed in a season-high 17 points, while Jessica Kreitz chipped in 14, in the Blue Devils' 77-70 win over St. Catherine Thursday. … Fueled by her 17-point effort against St. Catherine, Goldsmith pushed her team-leading scoring average to 12.0 ppg. … Schoch also heads into Friday's game vs. Saint Mary's averaging in double figures at 11.0 ppg. … Brea Boomer hauled in a team-leading eight rebounds—two more than Katelynne Folkers—vs. the Wildcats on Thursday. Folkers boasts a team-best 21 rebounds, one more than Boomer. … UW-Stout outscored St. Catherine 47-39 in the second half Thursday.