Box Score  | GameDay Preview

ST. PETER, Minn. — Saturday afternoon turned out to be simple arithmetic for the Saint Mary's University women's basketball team:

One overtime victory plus one regulation victory equals one team in first place in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference standings.

The Cardinals needed overtime to shake upset-minded Gustavus — getting four points from Courtney Euerle (Litchfield, Minn.) and three from Bridget Pethke (New London, Wis.) in the five-minute extra session en route to a 69-62 victory.

That heart-stopping victory, coupled with Concordia's 60-57 win over St. Thomas, moved SMU into sole possession of first place in the conference standings with two regular-season games left to play.

The Cardinals appeared to have conference win No. 18 sewn up in regulation, but a desperation 3-pointer by Gustavus' Lindsey Johnson backed in off the backboard at the buzzer to send the game into overtime.

In the five-minute extra session, Euerle scored a pair of field goals and Pethke was 3-for-4 from the free throw line, as SMU outscored Gustavus 11-4 to ice the win.

Down 51-50 with 4:33 remaining in regulation, the Cardinals scored six straight points to take a 56-51 advantage. The Gusties cut the gap to one, 56-55 with 32 seconds on the block, but a pair of Darcey Rice (Eagan, Minn.) free throws gave SMU what appeared to be a comfortable 58-55 cushion.

But Johnson and the Gusties weren't finished just yet, as the sophomore heaved a 3-pointer from beyond the top of the key that found the bottom of the net to force OT.

The Cardinals shot 27 percent from the field in the opening half, making just nine of their 33 field goal attempts — fortunately, five of those made field goals were 3-pointers, as SMU took a two-point, 25-23 advantage into the locker room at the half.

SMU grabbed an early, 12-7 lead, with all 12 points coming via 3-pointers — including a 3-for-3 showing from Shelby Auseth (Wanamingo, Minn.). But a 7-2 GAC run knotted the game at 14-14, and neither team would lead by more than four the rest of the opening 20 minutes.

Euerle finished with a career-high 22 points — marking the third time this season the senior forward has eclipsed the 20-point barrier — knocking down 7 of 10 field goals and 8 of 11 free throws. Auseth and Rice also finished in double figures with 17 and 10 points, respectively.

Britta Rinke tossed in a game-high 23 points for the Gusties, while Johnson and Karina Schroeder each chipped in 15 points.

The Cardinals (18-2 MIAC, 21-2 overall) are back in action on Wednesday, as SMU hosts Hamline in a 7:30 p.m. conference game. A win over the Pipers would not only assure the Cardinals at least a share of their first regular-season conference title since the 1985-86 season, but also give SMU the No. 1 seed and home-court advantage in the upcoming MIAC Tournament.