WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University of Minnesota women's basketball team kicks off its 2016-17 season on Tuesday, as the Cardinals entertain the University of Dubuque in a 7 p.m. nonconference game at the Saint Mary's Gym.
 
The Matchup:
• Saint Mary's Cardinals (0-0 Overall) vs. University of Dubuque Spartans (0-0 Overall)
 
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Last Action:
• Today's game between the Cardinals and Spartans is the season-opener for both teams.
 
Saint Mary's vs. University of Dubuque—Their Last Meeting:
• Saturday's matchup is the first in program history between the Cardinals and Spartans.
 
Up Next:
• Saint Mary's: The Cardinals hit the road this weekend, traveling to St. Joseph, Minn., to take part in the Saint Benedict Tournament. Saint Mary's will face UW-Stout at 6 p.m. on Friday, before squaring off against Martin Luther at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
• University of Dubuque: The Spartans head to Sheboygan, Wis., this weekend to take part in the Lakeland Tournament.
 
Scouting The Saint Mary's Cardinals:
2016-17 Roster | 2016-17 Statistics | 2016-17 Schedule
• Saint Mary's made its fifth straight MIAC Playoff appearance last season—and the Cardinals have reached at least the semifinals each time. … Saint Mary's 77-65 loss at St. Thomas in the conference tournament title game marked the Cardinals' second appearance in the MIAC Playoff championship game in the last three seasons. Saint Mary's also fell to the Tommies 71-58 in the 2014 title games. … The Cardinals finished the year having won three of their last five—with both losses against St. Thomas—and five of their last seven. … With their 21-6 overall record, the Cardinals have now reached the 20-win plateau in three of the last four seasons. … Saint Mary's finished the season owning a 10-2 record on their home court, while going 11-4 on the road. … The Cardinals are 45-5 at the Saint Mary's Gym over the past four years. … Four of the Cardinals' six losses last season came against nationally ranked teams—St. Thomas (three times) and UW-Stevens Point. . … Last year's senior class—Bridget Pethke (New London, Wis.), Micaela Meredith (Bloomington, Minn.), and Haley Trom (Hampton, Minn.)—was as the winningest class in program history, finishing with an 85-24 overall record, along with one conference regular-season title, four MIAC Playoff appearances, and an NCAA national tournament berth. … The Cardinals finished the year boasting a pair of players averaging in double figures—Brandi Blattner (Eyota, Minn. / 15.8 ppg) and Meredith (14.3 ppg). … Meredith—who netted 10 or more points in 20 of the team's 27 games—scored 20 or more points seven times last season, including a career-best 24-point showing against St. Thomas on Jan. 15. … The 21- and 20-point showings by Pethke and Meredith against Gustavus in the MIAC Playoff semifinals on Feb. 25 marked the second Saint Mary's has had two players score 20 or more points in a game a year ago. Meredith and Blattner each netted 23 points in the Cardinals' win over UW-Stout on Jan. 2. … Brigette Audette (Big Lake, Minn.) chipped in a career-high 17 points against Gustavus in the MIAC Playoff semifinals. … Audette became the sixth Cardinal player to record a career-high of 10 or more points in a game this season, joining Blattner (27), Meredith (24), Trom (15), Alexa Huisman (Adrian, Minn. / 14), and McKenzie Sommers (12). … Blattner, who returned to the Cardinals lineup against St. Thomas on Feb. 20 after missing five games due to an appendectomy, owned nine double-doubles and hauled in 10 or more rebounds 13 times during her freshman campaign a year ago. … Blattner—who scored 20 or more points eight times last season—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 scored a career-high 27 points in back-to-back games against St. Catherine and St. Olaf on Jan. 6 and Jan. 9—it was the highest single-game output since Pethke tossed in 32 points against St. Olaf on Jan. 29, 2014. … The Cardinals had six different players lead them in scoring last season. … Blattner owned a team-best 233 rebounds (10.6 rpg) a year ago. … Blattner was one of three players with 100 or more rebounds last season—Pethke (156) and Meredith (116) were the others. … Pethke set a school-record for assists in a season with her five helpers against Gustavus in the MIAC Playoff semifinals. The senior closed out the year with 157 helpers—six better than the previous mark of 151, set by Michele Gensler in 1990-91. … With the first of her five assists against Hamline on Feb. 17, Pethke surpassed Lisa Janikowski as the all-time career assist leader. Pethke owns a school-record 412 career assists. … Pethke—who dished out a career-high 10 assists against Augsburg on Dec. 9—eclipsed the 100-assist mark twice in her collegiate career. … Pethke started every game she played in a Cardinal uniform, a span of 94 games. … Saint Mary's—which knocked down a season-high 12 treys against St. Olaf on Feb. 13—made 163 3-pointers last season. … The Cardinals boasted four players—Emma Schaefer (Roseville, Minn. / 39), Meredith (36), Pethke (35), and Huisman (28)—with 20 or more 3-pointers. … The Cardinals made a season-high 26 free throws in a game twice last season—at Saint Benedict on Nov. 22 and vs. Gustavus on Dec. 2. … As a team, the Cardinals averaged 70.3 ppg. … Saint Mary's 85-point effort in their 85-56 win over St. Olaf on Feb. 13 marked the fifth time the Cardinals scored 80 or more points a year ago—including a season-high 88 points in their season-opening win over Crown on Nov. 21. … Saint Mary's netted 31 fourth-quarter points against St. Thomas in the MIAC Playoff championship game—the Cardinals' highest single quarter performance of the season. … The Cardinals put a season-high five players in double figures in their 85-56 win over St. Olaf on Feb. 13—Pethke (18), Meredith (11), Schaefer (11), Sam Jones (White Bear Lake, Minn. / 11), and Sommers (10). … The Cardinals had 11 players see court time against Carleton on Dec. 16—and all 11 scored at least two 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. … 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 a year ago 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.
 
Scouting The University of Dubuque Spartans:
2016-17 Roster | 2016-17 Statistics | 2016-17 Schedule
• The Spartans head into the 2016-17 season on the heels of a 9-16 overall record a year ago—including a seventh-place finish in the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference with a 4-10 mark. … With their seventh-place IIAC finish, the Spartans failed to qualify for the conference's post-season tournament for the first time in seven years. … UD graduated two seniors, and returns All-IIAC Second-Teamer Emily Brinker. … Brinker, who posted a 41-point, 14-rebound performance against Loras on Jan. 27, closed out her junior season a year ago as the team's offensive leader, averaging 16.1 ppg and 7.3 rpg. … Abbey Meyer (13.4 ppg) and Braanna Steen (11.6 ppg) also average in double figures last season. … Brinker owned the Spartans' top three single-game performances a year ago—scoring 41 and 26 in two meetings against Loras, while adding 29 vs. Coe. … Molly Richardson knocked down a team-high 39 3-pointers last season and was on e of seven Spartans with at least 10 3-pointers. … Meyer closed out the year as the team-leader in both assists (68) and steals (39), with Brinker second in assists (55) and Madison Boer second in steals (30). … As a team, the Spartans averaged 66.7 ppg, while allowing 65.1 ppg. … The Spartans scored 90 or more points twice last season, netting a season-high 97 in a 109-97 loss to North Central, while adding a 94-point effort in beating Coe 94-89. … UD played four overtime games last season, beating Defiance (70-68) and Loras (71-64), while falling to UW-Platteville (79-67) and Loras (80-76. … Five of UD's nine wins last season came at home, where the Spartans finished 5-7. Dubuque was 4-9 on the road a year ago.