ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University of Minnesota men's basketball team returns to Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play on Monday, as the Cardinals travel to Hamline's Hutton Arena for a 7 p.m. showdown with the Pipers.
 
The Matchup:
• Saint Mary's Cardinals (2-2 MIAC, 4-4 Overall) at Hamline Pipers (2-2 MIAC, 5-4 Overall)
 
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Last Action:
• Saint Mary's—December 28, 2016 * Pittsburgh, Pa.: James Cullen (Western Springs, Ill.) scored a career-high 22 points, but the Cardinals could not overcome a 14-point halftime deficit in falling to Carnegie Mellon 85-66 in a nonconference game at Skibo Gym | Recap
• Hamline—December 17, 2016 * St. Paul, Minn.: Isaac Brooks tossed in 14 points and Jay Betts and Connor Knutson added 12 each but it was not enough, as nationally ranked UW-River Falls dealt the Pipers an 89-58 nonconference setback at Hutton Arena | Recap
 
Saint Mary's vs. Hamline—A Year Ago:
• January 20, 2016 * St. Paul, Minn.: Saint Mary's was good in the first half of its Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference game against Hamline. They were even better in the second half. The Cardinals, clinging to a one-point, 26-25 lead after the game's opening 20 minutes, shot a blistering 62.5 percent from the field in the second half—knocking down 10 of their 16 field goal attempts—in pulling away from the Pipers for a 70-59 conference win at Hutton Arena | Recap
• February 17, 2016 * Winona, Minn.: Saint Mary's University collected its seventh Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference win of the season—the most conference victories since the Cardinals went 7-13 during the 2009-10 season. And the Cardinals' three seniors—playing in their final collegiate home games—all played an instrumental role. Connor Kaiser (Rockland, Wis.) and Mark Schumacher (Perham, Minn.) each scored 11 points, while Will Swiggum (St. Charles, Minn.) tossed in eight points and added seven rebounds and four assists, as the Cardinals pulled away in the second in half in beating Hamline 74-61 at the Saint Mary's Gym | Recap
 
Up Next:
• Saint Mary's: The Cardinals are right back in action on Wednesday, heading to Macalester's Leonard Center in St. Paul, Minn., for a 7 p.m. conference matchup with the Scots
• Hamline: The Pipers return to their home court at Hutton Arena in St. Paul, Minn., on Wednesday, entertaining St. Olaf in a 7 p.m. MIAC contest.
 
Scouting The Saint Mary's Cardinals:
2016-17 Roster | 2016-17 Statistics | 2016-17 Schedule
• Monday's conference game against Hamline is the third of four straight road games for the Cardinals. Saint Mary's next home game is Jan. 11 against Augsburg. … With their 75-73 win over Gustavus on Dec. 10, the Cardinals snapped their two-game losing streak, while also putting an end to a 12-game slide against the Gusties that dated back to a 78-75 win on Jan. 27, 2010. … Three of the Cardinals' four wins this season—including their 75-73 win over Gustavus on Dec. 10—have come on their home court. … James Cullen (Western Springs, Ill.) scored a career-high 22 points in the Cardinals' 85-66 loss to Carnegie Mellon last Wednesday. The 22-point effort was 13 points better than his previous career high. … Cullen also led the team in scoring in both of their exhibition games this season—scoring 14 points against NCAA Division II Winona State on Nov. 21 and nine points against NCAA Division I UW-Green Bay on Dec. 22. … With his team-leading 22-point performance vs. Carnegie Mellon, Cullen became the fifth different player to lead the team in scoring through eight games. … Wylie Ferron (Waconia, Minn.) scored 22 points and hauled in 13 rebounds—both career highs—in the Cardinals' 75-73 win over Gustavus on Dec. 10. … Quashingm Smith-Pugh (St. Paul, Minn.) also had a double-double against the Gusties on Dec. 10, scoring XX points and adding 10 rebounds. It was his fourth double-double this season—and fifth as a Cardinal. … Smith-Pugh poured in a season-high 23 points in the Cardinals' loss to Bethel on Dec. 7. The 23 points were one shy of Smith-Pugh's career high—a 24-point effort against Saint John's on Feb. 6, 2016. … Cullen and Smith-Pugh are the only the Cardinals to score more than 20 points in a game this season. … The Cardinals put a season-high five players in double figures in their 74-67 win over Carleton on Nov. 30. … Saint Mary's—which also had five players score in double figures once last season—has had four or more players score in double figures in four of its eight games this season. … In his first game in a Cardinal uniform, Cole Kruger (Hayfield, Minn.) scored a team- and game-high 17 points against Martin Luther on Nov. 15. … The Cardinals enter their conference game against Hamline boasting a pair of players averaging in double figures—Ferron (13.0 ppg) and Smith-Pugh (12.5 ppg). … Ferron leads the team in rebounds with 65 (8.1 rpg), one more than Smith-Pugh (64, 8.0 rpg). … Smith-Pugh also leads the Cardinals in assists with 20—one in front of Kruger—while sharing the team lead in steals (8) with Ferron. … Saint Mary's, which is shooting 42 percent from the field (205-for-484) has knocked down 71 3-pointers in its first eight games—including 10 or more four times. … The Cardinals equaled their season high with 12 3-pointers against Carnegie Mellon last Wednesday. Saint Mary's also drained 12 treys in its win against Carleton on Nov. 30. The 12 3-pointers are the most since raining in 13 against Bethel on Jan. 19, 2008. … Aaron Romportl (Stillwater, Minn.) leads the way with 15 3-pointers, two more than Bradley Hill (Matteson, Ill.) and four in front of Gleason. … Saint Mary's has gotten at least one 3-pointer from 13 different players this season. … As a team, the Cardinals are averaging 73.5 ppg, while their opponents are scoring at a 75.0 ppg clip. … Saint Mary's has been outscored by just 12 points through eight games—301-296 in the first half, and 299-292 in the second. … The Cardinals have eclipsed the 80-point barrier twice this season—including a season-high 84 points in a season-opening 84-50 win over Martin Luther on Nov. 15. … The Cardinals' 84 points against Martin Luther were one shy of the Cardinals' season-high from a year ago. Saint Mary's posted an 85-point effort in an 85-70 win over Macalester on Dec. 5. That 85-point performance marked the highest offensive output since Saint Mary's tossed in 87 in an 87-80 victory over Macalester on Dec. 4, 2010.  … The Cardinals closed out the season with nine wins a year ago—the most since the 2010-11 campaign, when Saint Mary's finished 9-16. The Cardinals' seven conference wins, meanwhile, are the most since going 7-13 in 2009-10.
 
Scouting The Hamline Pipers:
2016-17 Roster | 2016-17 Statistics | 2016-17 Schedule
• Monday's game against Saint Mary's—the first of the new year for the Pipers—is the second of four straight home games for Hamline. HU has won just one of its four games at Hutton Arena this season. … Hamline's 89-58 loss to nationally ranked UW-River Falls on Dec. 17 snapped the Pipers' two-game winning streak. HU has won back-to-back games twice this season, while losing two consecutive games just once. … Hamline boasted three players—Isaac Brooks (14), Jay Betts (12), and Connor Knutson (12)—scoring in double figures against UW-River Falls on Dec. 17. … Zach Smith enters Monday's conference showdown against Saint Mary's averaging a team-best 20.0. ppg, while Betts is also averaging in double figures at 11.0 ppg. … Smith has led the team in scoring in seven of the Pipers' nine games. … Smith owns four games of 20 or more points—including a season-high 32-point effort against UW-Superior on Nov. 18. Smith's other 20-plus point games came against Northland (28), Northwestern (27), and St. Thomas (28). … Dylan See-Rockers owns a team-leading 42 rebounds (4.7 rpg), with Smith and Kalu Abosi close behind with 41 (4.6 rpg). … Smith is also the team-leader in assists with 31, while Bets owns a team-high 20 steals. … The Pipers are shooting 46 percent from the field (232-for-496) and have knocked down 49 3-pointers. … Betts has made a team-leading 11 3-pointers, while eight different Pipers have netted at least one trey. … Hamline has outscored its first nine opponents 323-295, but have been outscored 350-337 after halftime.