WINONA, Minn.  — The Saint Mary's University of Minnesota men's basketball team takes to its home court on Wednesday, as the Cardinals entertain Hamline in the teams' Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opener. Opening tip is set for 7 p.m. at the Saint Mary's Gym.
 
The Matchup:
Saint Mary's Cardinals (0-0 MIAC | 0-0 Overall) vs. Hamline Pipers (0-0 MIAC | 3-1 Overall)
 
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Last Action:
• Saint Mary's: Tonight's game vs. Hamline is the season-opener for the Cardinals. Saint Mary's was originally scheduled to kick off its season on Nov. 24 against Martin Luther, but inclement weather forced the game to be postponed and rescheduled for Monday, Jan. 26.
• Hamline: UW-Eau Claire used a 20-0 second-half run to erase a 47-37 Piper lead and hand Hamline its first loss of the season, a 73-62 setback at Zorn Arena in Eau Claire, Wis., last Saturday | Recap
 
Saint Mary's vs. Hamline—A Year Ago:
• January 15, 2014: Just two days after draining a team- and career-high 18 points against Carleton, Saint Mary's Ronnie Ortiz was at it again Wednesday evening, as the freshman led the Cardinals in scoring for the second straight game. Unfortunately, Ortiz's team-best 14-point effort was not enough, as Hamline used a game-ending 10-2 run—including the last seven points in regulation—as the Pipers held off the Cardinals 69-65 at the Saint Mary's Gym | Recap
• February 19, 2014: Will Swiggum (St. Charles, Minn.) tossed in 20 points—just three points shy of the 23-point effort he posted four days earlier against Gustavus—and added 13 rebounds. Hamline, however, had an answer, as Dior Ford poured in a game-high 28 points and the Pipers used a game-ending 11-5 run to seal a 69-60 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference victory at Hutton Arena in St. Paul, Minn. | Recap
 
Up Next:
•  Saint Mary's: The Cardinals are back on their home court for a third straight game on Saturday, as Saint Mary's welcomes Augsburg to the Saint Mary's Gym for a 3 p.m. conference matchup.
• Hamline: The Pipers return home to Hutton Arena in St. Paul, Minn., on Saturday, as Hamline hosts Concordia in a 3 p.m. MIAC showdown.
 
Scouting The Saint Mary's Cardinals:
2014-15 Roster | 2014-15 Schedule | 2014-15 Statistics
Wednesday's conference-opener against Hamline is the first of three straight home contests for the Cardinals, who do not play on the road until Dec. 10, when they travel to St. Paul, Minn., to take on 13th-ranked St. Thomas. … Will Swiggum (St. Charles, Minn.)—an honorable-mention All-MIAC selection in 2013-14—closed out last season as the Cardinals' offensive leader, leading the team in both scoring average (12.3 ppg) and rebounding (7.4 rpg). … Swiggum scored a season-high 23 points against Gustavus on Feb. 15 — one point shy of his career-best—and eclipsed the 20-point barrier twice last season. … Aside from Swiggum's five double-doubles, Wylie Ferron (Waconia, Minn.) posted Saint Mary's other double-double last season, scoring 14 points and adding 11 rebounds against Crown on Nov. 23. … The Cardinals boasted seven players who recorded career-high games of 10 or more points last season. … As a team, Saint Mary's drained 113 3-pointers last season — including a season-high 10 against both Carleton on Jan. 13 and Bethel on Jan. 22. …The Cardinals netted a season-best 86 points in an 86-81 overtime win over Crown on Nov. 23. … Saint Mary'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. … Saint Mary'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 Hamline Pipers:
2014-15 Roster | 2014-15 Schedule | 2014-15 Statistics
Hamline's 73-62 loss to UW-Eau Claire put an end to the Pipers' season-opening three-game winning streak. Hamline was looking to open with four straight wins for the first time in three decades. … After scoring 30 or more points in each of their first three games—including a season-high 79-point effort against Northwestern (Minn.) on Nov. 15—the Pipers were held to a season-low 62 points vs. UW-Eau Claire. … Djor Ford and Austin Johnson enter Wednesday's conference-opener against Saint Mary's leading the team in scoring, averaging 12.7 ppg and 12.0 ppg, respectively. … Ford scored a single-game season-high 22 points in the Pipers' nonconference win over UW-River Falls on Nov. 19. … Johnson also leads the team in rebounds (25, 6.3 rpg), while Ford owns five of the team's seven blocks. … Hamline has drained 28 3-pointers through four games, led by Travis Johnson and Zach Smith with five each. … As a team, Hamline is shooting 49 percent from the field (116-for-235), while the Pipers' opponents are scoring at a 40 percent clip (93-for-229). … Hamline has outscored its opponents 145-117 in the game's opening 20 minutes, while holding a 142-134 second-half scoring edge. … Three of Hamline's first four games have been played on the road—HU beat UW-River Falls 72-64 in its lone game at Hutton Arena.