ST. PAUL, Minn. — Despite having already locked up one of the six spots in next week's Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Playoffs, there was still plenty on the line when the Saint Mary's University of Minnesota women's basketball team took the court against Hamline Wednesday evening.
 
And when the final horn sounded, the Cardinals were able to say "goodbye" to a long-standing school record—and a first-round playoff game.
 
Bridget Pethke (New London, Wis.) broke Saint Mary's all-time career assist record with her first-quarter helper, and the Cardinals—fueled by Wednesday's 64-48 conference win over Hamline at Hutton Arena—locked up a first-round playoff bye.
 
Hamline's Emily Behrman kicked off the game with a 3-point basket, but that would be the highlight of the Pipers' first quarter, as Saint Mary's answered by scoring 23 of the next 28 points to grab a commanding 23-8 advantage.
 
The Pipers outscored Saint Mary's 11-8 in the second quarter, whittling the Cardinals' lead to eight, 31-23, at the half, and got as close as four, 37-33, midway through the third quarter, but the Cardinals scored the next eight points and never looked back in cruising to its 20^th win of the season.
 
Pethke—who collected career assist No. 373 late in the first quarter to move past Lisa Janikowski for the No. 1 spot in program history—led the Cardinals in scoring for the second straight game, finishing with 16 points and added a team-best nine rebounds. Sam Jones (White Bear Lake, Minn.) chipped in 14 points and Brigette Audette (Big Lake, Minn.) finished with 12 points and eight boards.
 
Chloe Graves and Tia Diggins netted 18 and 10 points, respectively, to lead the way for the Pipers.
 
The Cardinals (14-3 MIAC, 20-4 overall)—who reached the 20-win plateau for the third time in the last four years—close out their regular-season schedule on Saturday, traveling to St. Paul, Minn., for a 3 p.m. MIAC showdown against nationally ranked and league-leading St. Thomas.