ST. JOSEPH, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University of Minnesota women's basketball team returns to Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play on Saturday, as the Cardinals head to Saint Benedict's Claire Lynch Hall for a 3 p.m. showdown with the Blazers.
 
The Matchup:
• Saint Mary's Cardinals (5-2 MIAC, 11-3 Overall) at Saint Benedict Blazers (5-2 MIAC, 9-5 Overall)
 
GameDay Live On The Web:
• Live Stats * Live Video
 
Last Action:
• Saint Mary's—January 11, 2017 * Minneapolis, Minn.: The Cardinals netted 15 of the game's final 20 points—including 4 of 8 free throws in the last minute—lifting Saint Mary's to an 81-79 MIAC win over Augsburg at Si Melby Hall | Recap  
• Saint Benedict—January 11, 2017 * St. Paul, Minn.: Four players scored in double figures, as the Blazers picked up just their second road win of the season, beating Macalester 75-51 at Leonard Center | Reap
 
Saint Mary's vs. Saint Benedict—A Year Ago:
• November 22, 2015 * St. Joseph, Minn.: Saint Mary's collected its second nonconference win in as many days, as the Cardinals outscored Saint Benedict 48-40 in the second half in pulling away for a 75-67 victory at Claire Lynch Hall | Recap
• February 6, 2016 * Winona, Minn.: Bridget Pethke (New London, Wis.) scored a team-best 18 points, knocking down 6 of 15 field goals attempts—including a season-high five 3-pointers—as the Cardinals won their third straight and remained tied atop the conference standings with a 61-53 win over Saint Benedict at the Saint Mary's Gym | Recap
 
Up Next:
• Saint Mary's: The Cardinals are back in action on Wednesday, heading to St. Thomas' Schoenecker Arena in St. Paul, Minn., for a 7 p.m. conference matchup against the Tommies.
• Saint Benedict: The Blazers are back on their home court at Claire Lynch Hall in St. Joseph, Minn., on Wednesday, hosting Hamline in a 7 p.m. MIAC matchup.
 
Scouting The Saint Mary's Cardinals:
2016-17 Roster | 2016-17 Statistics | 2016-17 Schedule
• Saturday's game against Saint Benedict is the second of four straight road games for the Cardinals, who are 4-1 away from the Saint Mary's Gym this season. … With their 80-73 win over St. Catherine last Saturday, Saint Mary's improved to 52-7 on its home court over the past five seasons. … Saint Mary's enters Saturday's game at Saint Benedict riding a five-game winning streak. It's the second time this season the Cardinals have won five consecutive games. … With their 81-79 win over Augsburg Wednesday, the Cardinals improved to 11-3 overall. Saint Mary's at least 11 of their first 14 games in four of the last five seasons. … Brandi Blattner (Eyota, Minn.) led a trio of Cardinals in double figures against Augsburg Wednesday, scoring 24 points. Emma Schaefer (Roseville, Minn.) chipped in 17 and Alexa Huisman (Adrian, Minn.) added 16. … Blattner also hauled in 12 rebounds vs. the Auggies for her seventh double-double of the season and 16^th of her two-year collegiate career. … Blattner has now recorded 10 or more rebounds eight times this season—including a season 17-rebound effort against Carleton on Nov. 30. … Blattner's 17 rebounds against Carleton were just two shy of her school-record 19-rebound performance against UW-Eau Claire on Dec. 29, 2015. … The Cardinals have three players who have posted career-high games of 20 or more points this season. Blattner scored a career-best 28 points against Bethel on Dec. 7, while Huisman netted 20 points against Concordia on Dec. 3, and Sam Jones (White Bear Lake, Minn.) finished with 21 against the University of Dubuque on Nov. 15. … Blattner's 28-point showing against Bethel on Dec. 7 was the highest individual offensive performance since Shelby Auseth recorded 28 points and Bridget Pethke scored 32 during the 2013-14 season. … Blattner has scored 20 or more points twice this season, having also netted 23 points in the Cardinals' overtime win over Carleton on Nov. 30. … Blattner has scored 10 or more points in 12 of the team's 14 games. … Blattner and Kirsten Keefe (Chatfield, Minn.) each recorded double-doubles against Carleton on Nov. 30—Blattner scored 23 points and added 17 rebounds, while Keefe chipped in 10 points and 11 boards. It was Keefe's first collegiate double-double. … The Cardinals have had six different players lead or share the team lead in scoring through 14 games—Blattner (7 times), Schaefer (4 times), Jones (3 times), Keefe, Huisman, and Brigette Audette (Big Lake, Minn.). … Blattner heads into the Cardinals' conference showdown with Saint Benedict averaging a team-best 15.3 ppg. Jones (12.5 ppg) and Schaefer (11.5 ppg) are also averaging in double figures through 14 games. … Blattner owns a team- and conference-leading 145 rebounds (10.4 rpg). … Jones equaled her career high with eight rebounds against Concordia on Dec. 3—the senior also hauled in eight boards against St. Scholastica on Nov. 26. … The Cardinals, who made 163 3-pointers last season, have drained 85 treys in 14 games this season—including a season-high 11 against St. Catherine on Jan. 7. … The Cardinals' 11 3-pointers were the most since knocking down 12 against St. Olaf on Feb. 13, 2016. … Huisman leads the team with 20 3-pointers, two more than Schaefer. … Eleven of the 13 players on the Cardinal roster have drained at least one 3-pointer this season. … Schaefer, who dished out a career-high 12 assists against Concordia on Dec. 3, leads the team with 76 helpers this season. … Schaefer's 12-assist effort against Concordia was the highest single-game effort since Jamie Rattunde dished out 12 against Coe on Nov. 26, 2003. … Saint Mary's has put five players in double figures twice this season, having achieved the feat against both the University of Dubuque and St. Catherine. Saint Mary's had five players score in double figures just once a year ago. … The Cardinals had 10 players score two or more points in their 66-40 win over Viterbo on Nov. 22. … Saint Mary's finished with 59 rebounds against Lawrence on Dec. 30, two shy of its school-record 61-rebound effort against Carleton on Nov. 30. … Saint Mary's is averaging 64.9 ppg. … The Cardinals, who have scored 65 or more points in eight of their 11 wins this season, have posted back-to-back games of 80 or more points—scoring 80 in an 80-73 win over St. Catherine on Jan. 7, and netting a season-high 81 in Wednesday's 81-79 victory over Augsburg. Saint Mary's eclipsed the 80-point plateau five times last year, including a season-high 88-point showing against Crown on Nov. 21, 2015. … Saint Mary's 61-60 win over Carleton on Nov. 30 was Saint Mary's first overtime game of the season—and first since a 79-73 win over Concordia on Feb. 7, 2015. … Saint Mary's has now won its last four overtime games. The last Cardinal loss in OT was against Concordia on Jan. 29, 2012, falling 60-59. … The Cardinals' 69-56 loss to Bethel on Dec. 7 snapped their season-high five-game winning streak, while their 65-49 win over UW-Eau Claire on Dec. 11 ended Saint Mary's two-game losing streak. … Saint Mary's losses to Bethel and Gustavus on Dec. 7 and Dec. 10 marked the first time this season—and the first time in their previous 48 contests—that the Cardinals had lost back-to-back games. … With their 76-64 win over the University of Dubuque on Nov. 15, the Cardinals have now won their season-opener in each of the last four seasons—dating back to a 63-58 loss to Elmhurst to kick off the 2011-12 season. … Saint Mary's—picked to finish third in the MIAC Preseason Coaches' Poll—made its fifth straight MIAC Playoff appearance last season—and the Cardinals have reached at least the semifinals each time. … With their 21-6 overall record last season, the Cardinals have now reached the 20-win plateau in three of the last four seasons.
 
Scouting The Saint Benedict Blazers:
2016-17 Roster | 2016-17 Statistics | 2016-17 Schedule
• Saint Benedict's 75-51 win over Macalester Wednesday was just its second road win in five tries this season. On the flip side, the Blazers a perfect 7-0 on their home court—when they play their next two games, beginning Saturday against Saint Mary's. … Saint Benedict enters Saturday's game against Saint Mary's having won just two of its last five games. … CSB has not won back-to-back games since opening the season with seven straight victories. … The Blazers put four players in double figures in their win over Macalester Wednesday, led by Alison Newton with 16 points. Macy Kelly chipped in 11 points, and Chelsey Guetter and Niki Fokken each chipped in 10 points. … The Blazers do not have a player averaging in double figures heading into Saturday's game against Saint Mary's. Guetter is the team's offensive leader at 9.7 ppg, followed by Fokken at 9.0 ppg and Newton at 8.1 ppg. … Fokken owns the team's single-game season-high, scoring 25 points against Carleton on Dec. 3, while Guetter owns three 18-point performances. … Guetter also leads the Blazers in rebounds with 99 (7.1 rpg). … Newton owns a team-leading 36 assists, while Guetter is the team's steals leader with 19. … The Blazers, who are averaging 59.3 ppg, are shooting at a 39 percent clip from the field (292-for-750) and have knocked down 23 3-pointers through 14 games. … CSB boasts five players with 10 or more 3-pointers, led by Newton with 16 and Kelly with 13. … Saint Benedict has outscored its opponents in each of the first three quarters—188-179 in the first, 223-176 in the second, and 215-214 in the third—but have been outscored 217-205 in the game's final 10 minutes. … The Blazers have scored 75 or more points twice this season, including a season-best 88-point showing in an 88-52 win over Carleton on Dec. 3. … Saint Benedict limited Carleton to nine second-quarter points and a season-low six fourth-quarter points in the Blazers 88-52 win on Dec. 3.