ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University of Minnesota women's basketball team returns to Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play on Wednesday, as the Cardinals head to St. Thomas' Schoenecker Arena for a 7 p.m. showdown with the Tommies.
 
The Matchup:
• Saint Mary's Cardinals (5-3 MIAC, 11-4 Overall) at St. Thomas Tommies (8-0 MIAC, 14-0 Overall)
 
GameDay Live On The Web:
• Live Stats * Live Video
 
Last Action:
• Saint Mary's—January 14, 2017 * St. Joseph, Minn.: Saint Benedict, which managed just four third-quarter points, outscored the Cardinals 16-11 in the game's final 10 minutes, as the Blazers dealt Saint Mary's a 47-45 conference setback at Claire Lynch Hall | Recap
• St. Thomas—January 14, 2017 * St. Paul, Minn.: St. Thomas raced out to a 50-30 lead through the first two quarters and never looked back in beating Concordia 75-60 at Schoenecker Arena | Recap
 
Saint Mary's vs. St. Thomas—A Year Ago:
• January 16, 2016 * Winona, Minn.: St. Thomas knocked down eight 3-pointers in the first half—including six in the first quarter—and held off a furious Cardinal fourth-quarter comeback in handing Saint Mary's its first conference loss of the season, 76-67, at the Saint Mary's Gym | Recap
• February 20, 2016 * St. Paul, Minn.: There was good news, and there was bad news, for Saint Mary's following the Cardinals' MIAC matchup with St. Thomas. The good news: With the regular-season behind them, the Cardinals will turn their focus to the post-season—a first-round bye and a home-court game in the MIAC Playoff semifinals. The bad news: The Cardinals will be heading into the post-season on the heels of an 89-65 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference loss to regular-season champion and eighth-ranked St. Thomas at Schoenecker Arena | Recap
• February 27, 2016 * St. Paul, Minn.: The Tommies—getting a game-high 23 points from Katie Stone—used a commanding third quarter to take a 31-point advantage, and held off a 31-point Saint Mary's fourth-quarter outburst in handing the Cardinals a 77-65 setback in the MIAC Playoff title game at Schoenecker Arena | Recap
 
Up Next:
• Saint Mary's: The Cardinals are back in action on Saturday, heading to Concordia's Memorial Auditorium in Moorhead, Minn., for a 3 p.m. conference matchup against the Cobbers.
 
Scouting The Saint Mary's Cardinals:
2016-17 Roster | 2016-17 Statistics | 2016-17 Schedule
• Wednesday's game against St. Thomas is the third of four straight road games for the Cardinals, who are 4-2 away from the Saint Mary's Gym this season. … With their 80-73 win over St. Catherine on Jan. 7, Saint Mary's improved to 52-7 on its home court over the past five seasons. … Saint Mary's had its five-game winning streak snapped with last Saturday's 47-45 loss to Saint Benedict. It was the second time this season the Cardinals had put together a five-game winning streak. … The Cardinals enter Wednesday's game against St. Thomas sitting at 11-4 overall. Saint Mary's has won at least 11 of their first 15 games in four of the last five seasons. … Alexa Huisman (Adrian, Minn.) scored a team-best 12 points for the Cardinals against Saint Benedict last Saturday. … Huisman was the lone Cardinal in double figures against the Blazers—marking the first time this season Saint Mary's has been held to one double-figure scorer. … Brandi Blattner (Eyota, Minn.) led a trio of Cardinals in double figures against Augsburg last Wednesday, scoring 24 points. … Blattner also hauled in 12 rebounds vs. the Auggies last Wednesday for her seventh double-double of the season and 16^th of her two-year collegiate career. … Blattner has 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 15 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), Huisman (twice), Keefe, and Brigette Audette (Big Lake, Minn.). … Blattner heads into the Cardinals' conference showdown with St. Thomas averaging a team-best 14.6 ppg. Jones (12.9 ppg) and Emma Schaefer (Roseville, Minn. / 11.3 ppg) are also averaging in double figures through 15 games. … Blattner owns a team- and conference-leading 153 rebounds (10.2 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 94 treys in 15 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 23 3-pointers, four 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 81 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 63.5 ppg. … The Cardinals, who have scored 65 or more points in eight of their 11 wins this season, 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 a 81-79 victory over Augsburg on Jan. 11. 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. … 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 St. Thomas Tommies:
2016-17 Roster | 2016-17 Statistics | 2016-17 Schedule
• Wednesday's game against Saint Mary's is the second of three straight home games for the Tommies, who are 5-0 at Schoenecker Arena this season. … The Tommies, winners of their first 14 games this season, are ranked No. 4 in the latest D3hoops.com Top 25, while holding down the No. 5 spot in this week's WBCA/USA Today Poll. … Riding a season-opening 14-game winning streak, St. Thomas has now won 24 consecutive regular-season games. … With last Saturday's win over Concordia, the Tommies have won 20 consecutive game against MIAC opponents—and have won 75 of their last 80 games against conference foes. … The Tommies are 136-16 against conference opponents since January 2010. … Gabby Zehrer scored a team-high 18 points and Kaitlin Langer chipped in 14 points and nine boards in last Saturday's 75-60 win over Concordia. … Langer recorded her 20^th career double-double against St. Olaf last Wednesday, scoring 24 points and adding 12 rebounds. … Langer and Zehrer enter Wednesday's home game against Saint Mary's averaging in double figures—Langer at 18.6 ppg and Zehrer at 12.8 ppg. … St. Thomas has had a player score 20 or more points in nine of its 14 games this season—with Langer accounting for six of those nine performances. … Langer poured in a season-high 32 points in UST's season-opening 77-43 win over Juniata on Nov. 18. … Langer is also the team's rebounding leader with 112 boards (8.0 rpg), while also leading the Tommies in assists (30), blocks (15), and steals (14). … The Tommies are shooting 46 percent from the field (382-for-837) and have knocked down 97 3-pointers. … Zehrer has drained a team-best 27 3-pointers, four more than Lauren Fischer. … The Tommies are averaging 74.8 ppg, while limiting their opponents to just 50.9 ppg. … St. Thomas has held eight of its 14 opponents under 52 points. … St. Thomas has won its last 68 games when it allows 65 or fewer points. … Over the last seven seasons against conference opponents, the Tommies are 109-2 when they score 65 or more points. … With last Saturday's 75-60 over Concordia, St. Thomas has scored 75 or more points in 11 of its 14 games—including a season-high 82-point effort against Carleton in an 82-43 win over the Knights on Jan. 7. … In its five nonconference games this season, St. Thomas owns a 31-point road win at McDaniel (21-7 last season), an 11-point home win over UW-Stevens Point (21-8 a year ago), an 11-point win over No. 7-ranked Hope (13-1 this season, 26-2 last season), and a four-point road victory over No. 24 Bluffton (10-3 this season).