By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
RIVER FOREST, Ill. — The Saint Mary's University of Minnesota men's basketball team is back in action on Saturday, as the Cardinals head to Concordia-Chicago's Geiseman Gymnasium for a 4 p.m. nonconference game against the Cougars.
 
The Matchup:
• Saint Mary's Cardinals (1-1 Overall) at Concordia-Chicago Cougars (0-2 Overall)
 
GameDay Live On The Web:
• Live Stats * Live Video
 
Last Action:
• Saint Mary's—November 21, 2017 * Winona, Minn.: The Cardinals had NCAA Division II Winona State on the ropes, leading the Warriors 47-46 at the half, only to have WSU outscore Saint Mary's 54-14 over the game's final 20 minutes in dealing SMU a 100-61 setback in an exhibition game at McCown Gym | Recap
• Concordia-Chicago—November 21, 2017 * Aurora, Ill.: Aurora, the No. 1 pick in the NACC Preseason Coaches' Poll—outscored the Cougars 57-42 in the second half in dealing Concordia a 108-94 setback in the teams' conference opener | Recap
 
Saint Mary's vs. Concordia-Chicago—Their Last Meeting:
• Saturday's game will be the first in program history between the Cardinals and the Cougars.
 
Up Next:
• Saint Mary's: The Cardinals kick off Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play on Wednesday, traveling to Gustavus' Gus Young Court in St. Peter, Minn., for a 7 p.m. showdown with the Gusties.
• Concordia-Chicago: The Cougars are back in action on Tuesday, heading to Milwaukee, Wis., for a 7 p.m. NACC showdown with Wisconsin Lutheran.
 
Scouting The Saint Mary's Cardinals:
2017-18 Roster | 2017-18 Statistics | 2017-18 Schedule
• With their 89-75 win over Martin Luther on Nov. 15, the Cardinals have now opened their season with a win in each of their last four seasons—including back-to-back years with season-opening victories over the Knights. … Five of the Cardinals' last seven wins have come on their home court. … James Cullen (Western Springs, Ill.) and Sawyer Rosner (Phelps, Wis.) scored in double figures in the Cardinals' exhibition loss to NCAA Division II Winona State last Tuesday, netting 12 and 11 points, respectively. … Saint Mary's knocked down nine 3-pointers in the first half—and 11 for the game—against Winona State last Tuesday. … Saint Mary's made 27 3-pointers in its two exhibition games this season—11 vs. Winona State and 16 against NCAA Division I Western Illinois. … David Lindstrand (Lakeville, Minn.) scored a career-high 13 points in the Cardinals' loss to Luther on Nov. 18. It was the second straight game in which the Cardinal sophomore posted a single-game career high—Lindstand tossed in a then-career-best 12 points against Martin Luther last Wednesday. … Kristjan Meitz (Waukesha, Wis.) also scored in double figures against Luther on Nov. 18, finishing with a career-best 10 points. … Saint Mary's had four players score in double figures in its win over Martin Luther on Nov. 15—with all four posting career-high performances. Cullen led the way, pouring in a career-best 24 points—two more than his previous high of 22 scored against Carnegie Mellon a year ago. Lindstrand and Rosner each posted then-career-bests with 12 points each, while Jakob Bailey (Cameron, Wis.) chipped in 10. … The Cardinals boasted nine players who recorded single-game career highs of 10 points or more last season. … Cullen (13.0 ppg) and Lindstrand (12.5 ppg) enter Saturday's nonconference game at Concordia-Chicago averaging in double figures. … Kareem Anthony-Bello (Chicago, Ill.) owns a team-high 12 rebounds (5.0 rpg). … Bello and Lindstrand share the team lead with four steals each, while Lindstrand also boasts a team-best four assists. … The Cardinals, who drained 186 3-pointers—just three 3-pointers shy of the school record of 189 set during the 1995-96 season—finished with seven treys against Martin Luther on Nov. 15 and added six more against Luther three days later. … The Cardinals' 89 points vs. Martin Luther on Nov. 15 marked their highest offensive outburst since erupting for 106 points in a 111-106 loss to Augsburg on Jan. 11. The 106 points were just four shy of the school-record 110 points, set against UM-Duluth during the 1952-53 season. … The Cardinals scored 80 or more points four times last season.
 
Scouting The Concordia-Chicago Cougars:
2017-18 Roster | 2017-18 Statistics | 2017-18 Schedule
• With Tuesday's loss to Aurora, the Cougars have now dropped back-to-back games to open the season. … Concordia has now allowed 100 or more points in each of its last three meetings with Aurora—the Spartans scored 106 and 114 points in their two wins over the Cougars a year ago. … Concordia has averaged 90.5 ppg in its first two games, but has surrendered 106.0 ppg—giving up 104 in a season-opening loss to Loras, and 108 vs. Aurora last Tuesday. … Concordia boasted four players in double figures vs. the Spartans last Tuesday, led by Mitch Pelissier with 18 and Jarek Hotwagner with 16. Jonathan Wilson finished with 15 points and Israel Dosie added 13. … Pelissier scored a career-high 34 points on 11 of 17 shooting from the field in the Cougars' season-opening loss to Loras last Saturday. … Pelissier enters Saturday's game against Saint Mary's averaging a team-best 26.0 ppg. Henry Woo Jr. (13.0 ppg) and Hotwagner (12.0 ppg) are also averaging in double figures. … Concordia boasts three players—Hotwagner (19, 9.5 rpg), Pelissier (13, 6.5 rpg), and Wilson (12, 6.0 rpg)—with 10 or more rebounds. … Woo Jr. and Dosie share the team lead with seven assists apiece. … Concordia is shooting 48 percent from the field (65-for-135) and has made 19 of its 48 3-point attempts. … Pelissier owns a team-best six 3-pointers, two more than Woo Jr.