COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University of Minnesota had the upper hand against Saint John's during the opening 20 minutes of their Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference game at Sexton Arena.
 
In fact, when the Cardinals headed into the locker room at the break, they were enjoying an eight-point, 42-34 advantage.
 
Unfortunately, the second half against the Johnnies wasn't nearly as kind, as SJU outscored Saint Mary's 47-26 over the final 20 minutes in handing the Cardinals an 81-68 setback.
 
Aaron Romportl (Stillwater, Minn.) knocked down a jumper to open the second half, giving Saint Mary's a 10-point cushion, 44-34. Over the next nine minutes, however, Saint John's outscored the Cardinals 25-2 to turn that 10-point deficit into a 13-point SJU advantage.
 
The Cardinals put together a late charge, whittling a 71-51 deficit down to nine, 77-68, but it just wasn't enough.
 
Connor Kaiser (Rockland, Wis.) poured in a team-high 20 points, while Romportl chipped in 10 for the Cardinals, who shot 58 percent from the field (14-for-24) in the opening half, but made just 9 of 31 second-half field goal attempts.
 
SJU boasted four players in double figures, led by Alex Schmitt with 23. Tyler Weiss chipped in 15, followed by Patrick Storm with 12 and Mitchell Kuck with 11.
 
The Cardinals (2-3 MIAC, 4-5 overall) are back in action next Saturday, traveling to St. Olaf's Skoglund Center in Northfield, Minn., for a 1 p.m. conference battle with the Oles.