OMAHA, Neb. — Quashingm Smith-Pugh (St. Paul, Minn.) scored in double figures for the second straight game, but it was not enough, as the Saint Mary's University of Minnesota men's basketball team dropped a 104-58 decision to NCAA Division I University of Nebraska-Omaha in an exhibition game Sunday afternoon at Baxter Arena.
 
Zach Jackson and Smith-Pugh traded baskets to open the game, but from there it was all UNO, as the Mavericks rattled off 13 straight points to grab a 15-2 advantage with 16:07 remaining.
 
The Mavericks continued to pull away over the final 16 minutes of the opening half, grabbing a 60-22 advantage at the break.
 
Nebraska-Omaha would score the first four points of the second half and never looked back, outscoring Saint Mary's 44-36 over the game's final 20 minutes in improving to 1-1 overall.
 
Smith-Pugh, coming off a 15-point performance in his first game in a Cardinal uniform—an 83-66 nonconference win over Crossroads College last Friday—finished with 12 points against the Mavericks to pace Saint Mary's.
 
Smith-Pugh finished 4-for-13 from the field and 4 of 5 from the free throw line en route to his team-high 12 points, while Will Swiggum (St. Charles, Minn.) netted seven points, and Kevin Gleason (Minneapolis, Minn.), Kai Endahl (Mendota Heights, Minn.), and Bradley Hill (Matteson, Ill.) all chipped in six.
 
Nebraska-Omaha finished with six players in double figures, led by Tim Smallwood with 14. J.T. Gibson added 13 points, followed by Zach Pirog (12), Tra-Deon Hollins (11), Jake White (11), and Jackson (10).
 
The Cardinals will play their second straight exhibition game on Thursday, traveling to Sioux Falls, S.D., for a 7 p.m. contest against the University of Sioux Falls.