ST. JOSEPH, Minn. — With a month of practice—not to mention a scrimmage and an exhibition game—under their belts, the Saint Mary's University of Minnesota women's basketball team finally got to play "for real" Saturday afternoon.
 
And for first-year head coach Brent Pollari, it was worth the wait.
 
The Cardinals gave Pollari his first collegiate head coaching victory in convincing fashion, holding Crown to just seven first-half points in rolling to an 88-34 nonconference victory at Clare Lynch Hall on the campus of Saint Benedict.
 
The Storm drained the first basket of the game on a lay-up by Andrea Besa, but by the time Crown was able to knock down its second field goal of the contest—eight minutes later—the Cardinals had rattled off 18 unanswered points en route to a 19-4 first quarter advantage.
 
It was more of the same in the game's second 10-minute quarter, as the Cardinals scored 21 unanswered points to open the quarter and outscored the Storm 24-3 to take a 44-7 lead into the locker room at the half.
 
 The Cardinals continued to have the hot hand in the games third and fourth quarters, repeating their first-half offensive outburst with 44 points over the game's final 20 minutes in securing the lopsided victory.
 
Brandi Blattner (Eyota, Minn.) was perfect on the afternoon en route to her game-high 14 points, as the freshman went 5-for-5 from the field and 4-for-4 from the free throw line. McKenzie Sommers (Arlington, Minn.) chipped in 12 points in her collegiate debut, while Emma Schaefer (Roseville, Minn.) and Brigette Audette (Big Lake, Minn.) each added 11 points.
 
As a team, the Cardinals shot 62 percent from the field (31-for-50)—and knocked down nine 3-pointers—while going 17-for-21 from the free throw line.
 
Besa finished with a team-best 12 points for the Storm (0-3 overall), who did not have another player with more than five points.
 
The Cardinals (1-0 overall) are back on the Clare Lynch court on Sunday, squaring off against Saint Benedict in a 3 p.m. nonconference game.