MOORHEAD, Minn. — There's something about playing Concordia that seems to bring out the best in Saint Mary's University of Minnesota's
Alexa Huisman (Adrian, Minn.).
In the Cardinals' first meeting with the Cobbers in early December, the junior poured in a career-high 20 points—including 13 of the team's 17 fourth-quarter points—in leading Saint Mary's to a 60-56 conference win at the Saint Mary's Gym.
The two teams were back on the court Saturday—this time at the Cobbers' Memorial Auditorium—and once again, Huisman was at her best.
Huisman equaled her career-best performance, scoring a game-high 20 points in helping the Cardinals complete the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference sweep of the Cobbers with a 75-61 victory.
And Huisman wasn't alone in the spotlight Saturday.
Brandi Blattner (Eyota, Minn.) chipped in 17 points, while
Sam Jones (White Bear Lake, Minn.) recorded her first collegiate double-double with 14 points and a career-best 10 rebounds, and
Emma Schaefer (Roseville, Minn.) added 13 points.
The Cardinals took control early, grabbing a 17-13 advantage after the game's opening 20 minutes, before using a 7-0 run—a 3-pointer by Huisman and a pair of field goals by Jones—late in the second half to grab a 32-23 cushion heading into the locker room at the break.
Concordia whittled the lead to six, 46-40 late in the third quarter—and trailed by just seven, 51-44, after 30 minutes—but the fourth quarter belonged to the Cardinals, who outscored CC 24-17 to seal the win.
The Cardinals, who snapped a two-game losing streak with the win, shot 45 percent from the field, including an 8 of 18 effort from behind the 3-point line, while sinking 17 of their 23 free throw attempts.
Concordia, which put three players in double figures—led by Jenna Januschka with 15—hit on 38 percent of its attempts from the field (20-for-53) and were 7 of 19 from behind the arc.
The Cardinals (6-4 MIAC, 12-5 overall) are back in conference play on Wednesday, entertaining Carleton in a 7 p.m. matchup at the Saint Mary's Gym.
