MIAC Release

WINONA, Minn. — For Saint Mary's University of Minnesota's Brandi Blattner, it was a week to remember.
 
Blattner posted back-to-back double-doubles—including a career-high 27 points twice—in leading the Saint Mary's women's basketball team to Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference wins over St. Catherine and St. Olaf.
 
Her efforts not only helped the Cardinals remain in sole possession of first place in the conference standings—but it also earned the Cardinal freshman MIAC Athlete of the Week honors.
 
Blattner entered last week on the heels of what was a then-career-high 23-point effort in the Cardinals' 74-73 win over UW-Stout on Jan. 2 in their final nonconference game of the season.
 
That effort, however, paled in comparison to what Blattner accomplished in the Cardinals' two conference games against the Wildcats and Oles last week.
 
Blattner poured in 27 points and added 12 rebounds in Saint Mary's 71-67 victory over St. Catherine last Wednesday, then matched that career-high 27-point effort—and added 11 more rebounds to boot—three days later in the Cardinals' 57-46 win over St. Olaf.
 
For the week, Blattner shot 60 percent from the field (21-for-35)—including a 3-for-5 showing from behind the 3-point line—while also going 9 of 12 from the free throw line. She also hauled in 23 rebounds—18 on the defensive end—dished out three assists and added six steals.
 
Blattner has now scored 20 or more points and added 10 or more rebounds in three straight games, and heads into Wednesday's showdown with Concordia—one of five teams sitting two games back of the Cardinals in the conference standings—averaging a team-best 15.2 ppg and a team- and conference-leading 9.4 rpg.