WINONA, Minn. - If Saint Mary's University of Minnesota women's basketball coach Brent Pollari was worried about his team feeling any ill effects from last Saturday's 76-67 loss to No. 19 St. Thomas-the Cardinals' first conference setback of the season-they were quickly put to rest.

After the first five minutes that is.

After managing just six points in the first 5:43-and staring at a 6-6 deadlock with visiting Hamline-the Cardinals scored the final 12 points of the opening quarter and never looked back, dealing the Pipers a 70-55 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference setback at the Saint Mary's Gym.

Hamline netted the game's first four points-on a pair of free throws and a basket by Chelsey Bonsante-but Saint Mary's responded with six unanswered points, and, after Haley Greene knotted the game at 6-6, the Cardinals took control.

Fueled by their quarter-ending 12-0 run-not to mention a 22-15 scoring advantage over the game's second quarter-the Cardinals were in complete control at the break, 40-21.

Saint Mary's knocked down 15 of their 37 field goal attempts-including a 5-for-13 effort from behind the free throw line-in the first half. The Pipers, meanwhile, struggled to find their first-half shooting touch, making just nine field goals-including missing all 10 of their attempts from behind the 3-point line.

And it was more of the same over the game's final two quarters.

The Cardinals built their lead to as many as 27 in the third quarter, before settling for a 55-30 advantage, and led by 31, 70-39, before Hamline scored the game's final 16 points to make it a 15-point Saint Mary's victory.

Micaela Meredith (Bloomington, Minn.) led the Cardinals' offensive charge, scoring 17 points, while Alexa Huisman (Adrian, Minn.) chipped in 13 points, and Emma Schaefer (Roseville, Minn.) and Brandi Blattner (Eyota, Minn.) each chipped in 12. Blattner hauled in a game-high 13 rebounds for her sixth double-double of the season, and Bridget Pethke (New London, Wis.) finished with 10 rebounds-one shy of her career high-and nine assists.

The Cardinals shot 35 percent from the field (25-for-72)-and drained seven 3-pointers-while going 13-for-21 from the free throw line.

Hamline never did find its shooting touch from long range, missing its first 17 3-point attempts, before finishing 1-for-19 from behind the arc. The Pipers finished 21-for-73 from the field and were 12 of 14 from the free throw line.

Chelsey Bonsante netted a team-best 15 points for Hamline (1-8 MIAC, 3-13 overall), while Chloe Graves chipped in 14.

The Cardinals, who improved to a league-best 8-1 in conference play and 14-2 overall, are back in action on Saturday, traveling to Macalester's Leonard Center in St. Paul, Minn., for a 3 p.m. MIAC showdown with the Scots.