ST. PAUL, Minn. — After three consecutive home games, the Saint Mary's University of Minnesota women's basketball team hits the road on Saturday, heading to Macalester's Leonard Center for a 3 p.m. Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference showdown with the Scots.
 
The Matchup:
• Saint Mary's Cardinals (8-1 MIAC | 14-2 Overall) at Macalester Scots (2-7 MIAC | 7-9 Overall)
 
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Last Action:
• Saint Mary's: 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 | Recap
• Macalester: The Scots could not cool off Augsburg in the first half, as the Auggies shot 60 percent from the field in jumping out to a 20-point lead, and Macalester never recovered in falling 75-52 Wednesday at Leonard Center in St. Paul, Minn. | Recap
 
Saint Mary's vs. Macalester—Earlier This Year:
• December 5, 2015 * Winona, Minn.: Saint Mary's outscored Macalester 31-22 in the second half—including 15-9 in the third quarter—as the Cardinals cruised to their sixth straight win, a 67-52 victory at the Saint Mary's Gym | 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: The Cardinals return to the Saint Mary's Gym on Wednesday, playing host to Augsburg in a 7 p.m. conference matchup.
• Macalester: The Scots head to St. Thomas' Schoenecker Arena in St. Paul, Minn., on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. MIAC showdown with the Tommies.
 
Scouting The Saint Mary's Cardinals:
2015-16 Roster | 2015-16 Statistics | 2015-16 Schedule
• With their 70-55 win over Hamline on Wednesday, the Cardinals improved to 7-1 on their home court this season, while pushing their record to 42-4 at the Saint Mary's Gym over the past four seasons. … With their win over Hamline Wednesday, the Cardinals remain atop the conference standings at 8-1, one game in front of St. Thomas, and two games up on Bethel, Concordia, Gustavus, and Saint Benedict. … Saint Mary's loss to St. Thomas last Saturday was their first conference setback of the year and snapped their five-game winning streak. … Both of the Cardinals' losses this season have come against nationally ranked teams—No. 14 UW-Stevens Point and No. 19 St. Thomas. … The Cardinals put four players in double figures in Wednesday's 70-55 win over Hamline—it was the second time this season Saint Mary's has had four double-figure scorers in a game. … Micaela Meredith (Bloomington, Minn.) led all scorers against the Pipers Wednesday, finishing with 17. Alexa Huisman (Adrian, Minn.) added 13 points, and Brandi Blattner (Eyota, Minn.) and Emma Schaefer (Roseville, Minn.) each chipped in 12. … Meredith has now led the team in scoring in back-to-back games— she scored a team-, game-, and career-high 24 points against St. Thomas last Saturday. … Meredith's 24-point effort against the Tommies marked the fourth time this season the senior has netted 20 or more points in a game. … Blattner hauled in a game-high 13 rebounds against the Pipers en route to her sixth collegiate double-double. … Blattner has recorded 10 or more rebounds in six straight games and nine times this season. … Blattner scored a career-high 27 points in back-to-back games against St. Catherine and St. Olaf on Jan. 6 and Jan. 9. … Blattner—whose 27 points are the highest single-game output since Pethke tossed in 32 points against St. Olaf on Jan. 29, 2014—has scored 20 or more points five times this season, including three of her last five games. … Blattner 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. … Bridget Pethke (New London, Wis.) collected 10 rebounds and dished out nine assists vs. the Pipers—both efforts were one shy of her collegiate bests. … Meredith recorded her first collegiate double-double against Lawrence on Dec. 30, scoring 13 points and hauling in a team-, game-, and career-high 11 rebounds. … The Cardinals have had six different players lead them in scoring this season. … The Cardinals had 11 players see court time against Carleton on Dec. 16—and all 11 scored at least two points. … Haley Trom (Hampton, Minn.) equaled her career high with 15 points against St. Catherine on Jan. 6, while Huisman recorded a career-high 14 points against Carleton on Dec. 16, and McKenzie Sommers (Arlington, Minn.) tallied a career-best 12 points vs. Crown on Nov. 21. … The Cardinals head into their conference showdown at Macalester boasting a pair of players averaging in double figures—Blattner (15.6 ppg) and Meredith (14.7 ppg). … Blattner owns a team- and conference-best 161 rebounds (10.1 rpg), while Pethke—who dished out a career-high 10 assists against Augsburg on Dec. 9—leads the team with 99 assists and 50 steals. … Saint Mary's—which knocked down a season-high 11 treys against UW-La Crosse on Nov. 24—has made 95 3-pointers, led by Schaefer with 27. … The Cardinals have made a season-high 26 free throws in a game twice this season—at Saint Benedict on Nov. 22 and vs. Gustavus on Dec. 2. … As a team, the Cardinals are averaging 70.4 ppg. … Saint Mary's has scored 80 or more points three times this season—tossing in 85 in its Dec. 16 85-47 win over Carleton, adding 82 in an 82-74 win over Gustavus on Dec. 2, and scoring 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. … 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. … 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. … Saint Mary's had its season-opening eight-game winning streak snapped with a 68-44 loss to UW-Stevens Point on Dec. 19. … Saint Mary's has opened the season with eight consecutive wins—and nine wins in their first 10 games—in back-to-back seasons. … The Cardinals' 13-1 start to the season was the best 14-game start since the 2013-14 season, when Saint Mary's opened 19-1 en route to its latest conference championship and NCAA Division III national tournament berth. … 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
• Saturday's game against Saint Mary's is the last of four straight home games for the Scots, who are 4-5 at Leonard Center this season. … After opening the season 5-2, Macalester has managed just two wins in its last seven games. … Erin Murray led a trio of Macalester players in double figures against Augsburg Wednesday, scoring 16 points. Regan Fruh and Leah Gray chipped in 14 and 10 points, respectively. … Gray also hauled in a team-leading 10 rebounds en route to her second double-double of the season. … Murray has now led the team in scoring four times this season. … Macalester heads into Saturday's showdown with league-leading Saint Mary's boasting two players averaging in double figures—Regan Fruh (12.1 ppg) and Lauren Clamage (10.9 ppg). … Clamage has accounted for both of Macalester's 20-point scoring games this season, netting 24 against Grinnell on Nov. 21 and a season-high 28 vs. Bethany Lutheran on Nov. 30. … Along with her team-leading 12.1 ppg scoring average, Fruh also leads the team in rebounds with 123 (7.7 rpg). … Macalester has two players—Murray (65) and Vivi Gregorich (51)—with 50 or more assists. … Fruh holds a team-leading 25 steals, two more than Gregorich, and Gray boasts a team-best 37 blocks. … Macalester has knocked down 88 3-pointers this season, with Clamage (32), Gray (28), and Gregorich (18) accounting for 78 of them. … Macalester scored a season-high 97 points in a 97-88 win over Bethany Lutheran on Nov. 30. … The Scots have been held under 60 points in all nine of their losses this season. … Macalester has played two overtime games this season—winning both. The Scots topped Bethany Lutheran 97-88 and edged Hamline 71-70 three days later.