Box Score  | GameDay Preview

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University men's basketball team started hot Monday evening — and never cooled off in handing Macalester a 79-48 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference setback at Leonard Center.

The Cardinals put together one of their best offensive performances of the season — shooting a sizzling 59 percent from the field — and got double-figure scoring from four different players in picking up their second conference win over Macalester this season.

Wylie Ferron (Waconia, Minn.), who netted a career-best 19 points against Concordia last Saturday, equaled that career mark on Monday, going 8-for-13 from the field and adding 3 of 6 free throws for his second straight 19-point effort.

And Ferron's offensive exploits were just the beginning.

Will Swiggum (St. Charles, Minn.) notched his fourth double-double of the season — and seventh of his career — with a season-high 18 points and 13 rebounds, while Ronnie Ortiz (Dayton, Ohio) added 13 points and Trent Vix (Rushford, Minn.) chipped in 12.

Evan Pederson (Onalaska, Wis.), meanwhile, managed just five points, but the junior guard was in a very giving mood, dishing out a career-high 11 assists.

After spotting the host Scots the game's first six points, the Cardinals went to work, building leads as big as 18 points, before settling for a 16-point, 41-25 halftime advantage.

And the Cardinals never took their foot off the gas, pushing their lead to as many as 35 points twice in the second half — the second time 77-42 with 3:01 remaining — in coasting to the victory.

After shooting 66 percent from the field (18-for-27) in the first half, SMU drained 14 of its 27 second-half field goals, while adding a 10-for-12 effort from the free throw line, in outscoring Macalester 38-23 to secure the win.

The Cardinals (2-13 MIAC, 3-17 overall) are back in action on Wednesday, returning home to host Carleton in a 7:30 p.m. conference game at the SMU Gym.