Box Score  | GameDay Preview

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Ronnie Ortiz (Dayton, Ohio) tossed in a team-high 14 points, but the Saint Mary's University men's basketball team could not slow down high-powered and nationally ranked St. Thomas Saturday afternoon at  Schoenecker Arena.

The Tommies erupted for 42 first-half points — shooting 57 percent from the field — and never cooled off, as UST handed the Cardinals a 92-59 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference setback.

The Cardinals got on the board first, on a Wylie Ferron (Waconia, Minn.) jumper on SMU's first possession — that, however, would be the last time they would lead, as St. Thomas scored 19 of the next 21 points to grab a 19-4 advantage six minutes into the opening half.

UST would lead by as many as 19 in the game's opening 20 minutes, before settling for a 14-point, 42-28 advantage at the break.

And as good as the Tommies were in the first half, they were even better in the second, knocking down 19 of 36 second-half field goals in outscoring SMU 50-31 to secure their sixth straight win and 10th in as many contests at Schoenecker Arena.

Ortiz went 4-for-7 from the field and 6-for-7 from the free throw line en route to his team-high 14 points, while Bakari Collins (Kenosha, Wis.) chipped in 10 points for the Cardinals.

Zach Riedeman tossed in 14 points and Taylor Montero added 11 for the Tommies, who got scoring from 11 different players.

The Cardinals are now off until next Saturday, when they travel to St. Peter, Minn., for a 3 p.m. MIAC game against Gustavus.