MOORHEAD, 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 Concordia's Memorial Auditorium for a 1 p.m. showdown with the Cobbers.
 
The Matchup:
• Saint Mary's Cardinals (5-4 MIAC, 11-5 Overall) at Concordia Cobbers (2-7 MIAC, 5-11 Overall)
 
GameDay Live On The Web:
• Live Stats * Live Video
 
Last Action:
• Saint Mary's—January 18, 2017 * St. Paul, Minn.: St. Thomas raced out to a 20-7 lead with three minutes remaining in the first quarter and the Cardinals never recovered in falling to the Tommies 77-57 in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference matchup at Schoenecker Arena | Recap
• Concordia—January 18, 2017 * Moorhead, Minn.: For the second straight game, the Cobbers outscored their opponent in the second half, but couldn't overcome a double-digit halftime deficit in falling to Bethel 75-58 at Memorial Auditorium | Recap
 
Saint Mary's vs. Concordia—Earlier This Year:
• December 3, 2016 * Winona, Minn.: Just three days after needing a pair of buzzer-beaters—one at the end of regulation and another with 0.5 seconds remaining in overtime—to beat Carleton, the Cardiac Cardinals were at it again against Concordia.  But, thanks to the Herculean effort of Alexa Huisman (Adrian, Minn.), overtime was averted—but not a second straight nailbiter­—as the Cardinals held off Concordia 60-56 in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference game at the Saint Mary's Gym | Recap
 
Saint Mary's vs. Concordia—A Year Ago:
• January 13, 2016 * Winona, Minn.: Fueled by the offensive efforts of Bridget Pethke (New London, Wis.) and Brandi Blattner (Eyota, Minn.), the Cardinals ran their MIAC-leading record to 7-0, outlasting the Cobbers 61-55 at the Saint Mary's Gym | Recap
 
Up Next:
• Saint Mary's: The Cardinals are back in conference play on Wednesday, entertaining Carleton in a 7 p.m. matchup at the Saint Mary's Gym.
• Concordia: The Cobbers are back on their home court at Memorial Auditorium in Moorhead, Minn., on Wednesday, playing host to Gustavus in a 5:45 p.m. MIAC contest.
 
Scouting The Saint Mary's Cardinals:
2016-17 Roster | 2016-17 Statistics | 2016-17 Schedule
• Saturday's game against Concordia is the fourth straight road game for the Cardinals, who are 4-3 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' loss to St. Thomas Wednesday marked just the second time this season Saint Mary's has dropped back-to-back games. … Saint Mary's has been held under 60 points in all five of its losses this season. On the flip side, the Cardinals have scored at least 60 points in 10 of their 11 wins—the lone exception, a 56-52 win over Macalester on Jan. 4. … Alexa Huisman (Adrian, Minn.) scored a team-best 12 points to lead three players in double figures in the Cardinals' loss to St. Thomas Wednesday. … Huisman has now led the team in scoring in back-to-back games—netting 12 points both times. … Brandi Blattner (Eyota, Minn.) and Emma Schaefer (Roseville, Minn.) chipped in 11 and 10 points, respectively, vs. the Tommies Wednesday. … Blattner picked up her seventh double-double of the season and 16^th of her collegiate career with 24 points and 12 rebounds against Augsburg on Jan. 11. … 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 10 or more points in 13 of the team's 16 games—including three games of 20 or more points. … 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 (3 times), Keefe, and Brigette Audette (Big Lake, Minn.). … Blattner heads into the Cardinals' conference showdown at Concordia averaging a team-best 14.4 ppg. Jones (11.2 ppg) and Schaefer (11.2 ppg) are also averaging in double figures through 16 games. … Blattner owns a team- and conference-leading 158 rebounds (9.9 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 99 treys in 16 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 25 3-pointers, six 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 82 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 63.1 ppg. … The Cardinals posted back-to-back games of 80 or more points earlier this season—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 its 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 have won at least 11 of their first 15 games for the fourth time in their last five seasons. … 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 Concordia Cobbers:
2016-17 Roster | 2016-17 Statistics | 2016-17 Schedule
• Saturday's game against Saint Mary's is the second of three consecutive home games for the Cobbers, who are 2-4 in their six contests at Memorial Auditorium this season. … The Cobbers' 75-58 loss to Bethel Wednesday pushed their losing streak to three straight. … Concordia has now surrendered 75 points in back-to-back games—a 75-60 loss to St. Thomas last Saturday, and a 75-58 loss to Bethel on Wednesday. … Shelby Duckstad and Jenna Januschka each scored in double figures against the Royals Wednesday—Duckstad tossed in a team-best 16 points, while Januschka added 10. … Duckstad's 16-point effort vs. the Royals was not only a career-high, but also more points than she had scored in her first 15 games—combined. … Concordia heads into Saturday's game against Saint Mary's boasting two players who are averaging in double figures—Greta Walsh (16.1 ppg) and Januschka (11.3 ppg). … Walsh has led the team in scoring in 10 of its 16 games—including five games of 20 or more points. … Walsh scored a season-high 28 points against St. Catherine on Dec. 7, and netted 27 against Hamline on Jan. 7. … Januschka is the team's rebounding leader with 89 (5.6 rpg), while Walsh owns the team's top spot in assists (28), steals (29), and blocks (4). … Walsh is one of three Cobbers with 20 or more assists through 16 games—Januschka (25) and Lexi Nelson (21) are the others. … The Cobbers are hitting on 39 percent of their field goals (311-for-801), including 75 3-pointers. … Walsh owns a team-leading 22 of the team's 75 treys, followed by Cassidy Raman (18), Lincoln Haiby (14), and Grace Wolhowe (12). … As a team, the Cobbers are averaging 56.6 ppg and have scored 70 or more points—73 against St. Catherine on Dec. 7 and 73 vs. Hamline on Jan. 7. … The Cobbers have played one overtime game this season, falling to Carleton 53-51 on Jan. 11. … Concordia has been held under 60 points in all 11 losses—including five games in which the Cobbers failed to score 50 points.