WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University of Minnesota women's basketball team returns home on Saturday, as the Cardinals entertain Macalester in a 3 p.m. Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference contest at the Saint Mary's Gym.
 
The Matchup:
• Saint Mary's Cardinals (1-0 MIAC | 5-0 Overall) vs. Macalester Scots (1-0 MIAC | 5-2 Overall)
 
GameDay Live On The Web:
• Live Stats * Live Video | Video Preview | GameDay Program
 
Last Action:
• Saint Mary's: For the second straight game, Micaela Meredith (Bloomington, Minn.) put together a career night Wednesday, as the senior poured in a game-high 23 points in leading Saint Mary's to an 82-74 victory over the Gusties in the teams' Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opener at Saint Mary's Gym | Recap
• Macalester: The Scots kicked off their conference season on a high note on Wednesday, as Regan Fruh converted a three-point play with 0.3 seconds reaming in overtime to lift Macalester to a 71-70 win over Hamline in St. Paul, Minn. | Recap
 
Saint Mary's vs. Macalester—A Year Ago:
• January 17, 2015 * St. Paul, Minn.: It took 20 minutes for Saint Mary's to heat up, but once they did, Macalester didn't have a chance. The Cardinals, who could not shake the pesky Scots in the first half, erupted for 43 second-half points in cruising to a 76-54 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference victory at Leonard Center | Recap
• February 21, 2015 * Winona, Minn.: Saint Mary's steamrolled past the Scots—outscoring Macalester 37-18 over the game's final 20 minutes—en route to a 68-46 conference victory at the Saint Mary's Gym | Recap
 
Up Next:
• Saint Mary's: After four straight home games, the Cardinals hit the road on Wednesday, heading to Si Melby Hall in Minneapolis, Minn., for a 7 p.m. conference game against Augsburg.
• Macalester: The Scots return to Leonard Center in St. Paul, Minn., on Wednesday, hosting St. Thomas in a 7 p.m. MIAC contest.
 
Scouting The Saint Mary's Cardinals:
2015-16 Roster | 2015-16 Statistics | 2015-16 Schedule
• With their conference-opening win over Gustavus on Wednesday, the Cardinals pushed their season-opening winning streak to five in a row—including three straight on their home court. … The Cardinals have now won five or more games in a row to open the season in back-to-back years. Saint Mary's put together an eight-game, season-opening winning streak a year ago— the Cardinals' longest such streak since opening the 1985-86 season by rattling off 19 straight wins. … With their home wins over UW-La Crosse, UW-Eau Claire, and Gustavus, the Cardinals improved to 38-3 on their home court over the past four seasons. … Saturday's game against Macalester is the fourth straight home games for the Cardinals. … Wednesday's 82-74 win over Gustavus marked the second time in five games that the Cardinals have scored 80 or more points in a game—Saint Mary's netted a season-high 88 points in their season-opening win over Crown on Nov. 21. Saint Mary's scored 80 or more points three times a year ago—including a season-best 90 points in a 90-58 MIAC Playoff win over Gustavus on Feb. 24. … Micaela Meredith (Bloomington, Minn.) recorded a career-high 23 points in the Cardinals' win over Gustavus on Wednesday. It was the second straight game in which the senior posted a career-best performance—she scored 22 points against UW-Eau Claire on Nov. 29. … With Meredith's 22- and 23-point showing in her last two games, the Cardinals have now boasted a 20-point scorer in three of their first five games—Brandi Blattner (Eyota, Minn.) recorded a career-best 21 points vs. Saint Benedict on Nov. 22. … After opening the season with five points against Crown, Meredith has scored 18, 14, 22, and 23 points in her last four games. … Blattner, who scored 19 points against Gustavus Wednesday, hauled in a career-high 19 rebounds in Saint Mary's win over UW-Eau Claire on Nov. 29. It was the Cardinals' highest single-game rebounding performance in the last two decades. … Blattner has posted double-doubles in two of the team's five games—the freshman scored 21 points and tallied 11 boards vs. Saint Benedict on Nov. 22, and added a 12-point, 19-rebound effort against UW-Eau Claire on Nov. 29. … McKenzie Sommers (Arlington, Minn.) tallied a career-best 12 points vs. Crown on Nov. 21. … Meredith (16.4 ppg), Blattner (14.8 ppg), and Emma Schaefer (Roseville, Minn. / 12.0 ppg) all enter Saturday's game against Macalester averaging in double figures. … Blattner also owns a team-best 48 rebounds (9.6 rpg), while Bridget Pethke (New London, Wis.)—whose seven assists vs. UW-La Crosse on Nov. 24 were one shy of her collegiate best—leads the team with 28 assists. … Saint Mary's drained a season-high 10 3-pointers against UW-Eau Claire last Sunday. … The Cardinals have made 39 3-pointers through five games, led by Schaefer with 15. … Saint Mary's boasted four players in double figures against Crown on Nov. 21—Blattner, Sommers, Brigette Audette (Big Lake, Minn. / 11), and Schaefer (11). The Cardinals put four or more players in double figures in a single game six times last season—including a season-high six in their win over St. Catherine on Jan. 21 … As a team, the Cardinals are averaging 78.ppg and have won their five games by an average of 17.2 points. … Saint Mary's held Crown to just seven first-half points in its season-opening 88-34 win over the Storm. It was the fewest points allowed in a half in program history, breaking the old mark of 14 set by the 2013-14 team—also against Crown. … The Cardinals have led at halftime just twice through their first five games this season—holding leads of 44-7 against Crown and 35-30 vs. Gustavus. Saint Mary's was tied against both Saint Benedict and UW-La Crosse at the break, while trailing UW-Eau Claire by four. … Saint Mary's played one overtime game last season—a 79-73 win over Concordia on Feb. 7. The Cardinals are 3-0 in their last three overtime games. … The Cardinals made their fourth straight appearance in the MIAC Playoffs a year ago. Saint Mary's has won at least one playoff game during its current four-year run. The Cardinals reached the MIAC semifinals in 2011-12, 2012-13, and 2014-15, while reaching the conference playoff title game in 2013-14.
 
Scouting The Macalester Scots:
2015-16 Roster | 2015-16 Statistics | 2015-16 Schedule
• The Scots enter Saturday's game at Saint Mary's riding a season-high three-game winning streak—including back-to-back overtime wins over Bethany Lutheran and Hamline. … Macalester has scored 60 or more points in all five of its wins—including a season-high 97 in a 97-88 victory over Bethany Lutheran on Nov. 30. On the flip side, the Scots have been held under 60 points in both of their losses this season. … Macalester put three players in double figures in its win over Hamline Wednesday—Leah Gray led the way with 19 points, while Park Masterson and Regan Fruh each chipped in 13. … Masterson also added a game-high 16 rebounds in recording her third double-double of the season. … Macalester, which heads into Saturday's game at Saint Mary's averaging 68.5 ppg, boasts four players who are averaging in double figures—Lauren Clamage (13.7 ppg), Fruh (13.3 ppg), Masterson (11.7 ppg), and Gray (11.4 ppg). … The Scots have had a 20-point scorer twice this season—both by Clamage. Clamage tossed in 24 points against Grinnell on Nov. 21, and added a season-high 28-point effort against Bethany Lutheran on Nov. 30. … Masterson boasts a team-best 70 rebounds (10.0 rpg)—and has recorded four games of 10 or more boards. … The Scots have knocked down 40 3-pointers through seven games, with Gray (16) and Clamage (15) accounting for 31 of them. … Erin Murray is the team-leader in assists with 38, while Fruh has amassed a team-best 11 steals, and Gray boasts a team-high 18 blocks. … The Scots have been outscored 118-95 in the first quarter, but hold a 113-98 scoring advantage in the second quarter. … The Scots have outscored their opponents 27-17 in their two overtime games. … Macalester is 3-1 on its home court, while going 2-1 away from Leonard Center.