By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director

NORTHFIELD, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University of Minnesota men's basketball team returns to Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play on Wednesday, as the Cardinals travel to Carleton's West Gym for a 7 p.m. showdown with the Knights.
 
The Matchup:
• Saint Mary's Cardinals (0-9 MIAC, 1-13 Overall) at Carleton Knights (6-3 MIAC, 8-6 Overall)
 
GameDay Live On The Web:
• Live Stats * Live Video
 
Last Action:
• Saint Mary's—January 13, 2018 * Winona, Minn.: The Scots found their stride within the game's opening 10 minutes and never looked back, dealing the Cardinals a 116-87 MIAC setback at Saint Mary's Gym | Recap
• Carleton—January 13, 2018 * Moorhead, Minn.: Macalester got a team-high 17 points from Matthew Stritzel, and rode a dominating first-half performance to a convincing 77-52 MIAC win over Concordia at Memorial Auditorium | Recap
 
Saint Mary's vs. Carleton—Earlier This Year:
• December 6, 2017 * Northfield, Minn.: Kareem Anthony-Bello (Chicago, Ill.) scored in double figures for the third time in his first six collegiate games Wednesday evening, but the Saint Mary's University of Minnesota men's basketball team could not overcome a cold shooting night in falling to Carleton 78-38 at the Saint Mary's Gym | Recap
 
Saint Mary's vs. Carleton—A Year Ago:
• November 30, 2016 * Winona, Minn.: Saint Mary's buried 12 3-pointers—including nine in the first half—and held off a late Carleton charge to beat the Knights 74-67 at the Saint Mary's Gym | Recap
• January 25, 2017 * Northfield, Minn.: Saint Mary's ran into a buzz-saw in its rematch with Carleton, as the Knights shot a blistering 60 percent from the field in handing the Cardinals an 86-55 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference setback at West Gym | Recap
 
Up Next:
• Saint Mary's: The Cardinals are back in action on Saturday, traveling to Hamline's Hutton Arena in St. Paul, Minn., for a 1 p.m. matchup with the Pipers
• Carleton: The Knights return home to West Gym in Northfield, Minn., on Saturday, entertaining Bethel in a 1 p.m. MIAC showdown.
 
Scouting The Saint Mary's Cardinals:
2017-18 Roster | 2017-18 Statistics | 2017-18 Schedule
• Saturday's game against Macalester was the third straight home game for the Cardinals, who play their next two games—Wednesday at Carleton and Saturday at Hamline—on the road. … The Cardinals have collected five of their last seven wins on their home court. … The Cardinals' 87 points in their MIAC loss to Macalester last Saturday marked the second time this season Saint Mary's has eclipsed the 80-point barrier. The Cardinals scored 89 points in a season-opening 89-75, season-opening win over Martin Luther on Nov. 15. … The Cardinals' 89 points vs. Martin Luther marked their highest offensive performance of the season, and the most points scored 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. … Two of Saint Mary's last three games have been decided by seven points or less. The Cardinals dropped a 67-64 decision to Concordia on Dec. 8 and followed that up with a 69-62 loss to Gustavus two days later. … The Cardinals put four players in double figures vs. Macalester last Saturday, led by Jakob Bailey (Cameron, Wis.), who netted a team-best 16 points—two shy of his single-game career high. James Cullen (Western Springs, Ill.) chipped in 14 points, with David Lindstrand (Lakeville, Minn.) and Brady Stevens (St. James, Minn.) each adding 12. … Stevens' 12-point effort against Macalester was a career high. … Saint Mary's has now had nine players record single-game career highs of 10 or more points this season—Cullen (24), Bailey (18), Kareem Anthony-Bello (Chicago, Ill. / 16), Lindstrand (15), Nate Urell (Fountain City, Wis. / 14), Stevens (12), Sawyer Rosner (Phelps, Wis. / 12), Christian Oliveras (Bolingbrook, Ill. / 11), and Kristjan Meitz (Waukesha, Wis. / 10). … The Cardinals put a season-high five players in double figures in their 86-76 loss to Concordia-Chicago on Nov. 25. … Along with his 14 points against Concordia-Chicago on Nov. 25, Anthony-Bello also hauled in a career-best 11 rebounds en route to his first collegiate double-double—and the Cardinals' first double-double of the season. … Anthony-Bello and Bailey enter Wednesday's matchup against Carleton averaging a team-best 10.0 ppg. … Anthony-Bello is the team's rebounding leader with 62 (4.4 rpg), three more than Bailey (59, 4.2 rpg) … Lindstrand boasts a team-high 29 assists. He is one of three players with 20 or more assists through 14 games—Bailey (23) and Cullen (23) are the other two. … Anthony-Bello owns a team-high 20 steals, while Bailey has accounted for 12 of the team's 30 blocked shots. … The Cardinals equaled their season high with 10 3-pointers against Concordia on Monday. Saint Mary's also knocked down 10 3-pointers in their first meeting with Gustavus on Nov. 29. … As a team, Saint Mary's has drained 93 3-pointers through 14 games, led by Cullen with 27 and Anthony-Bello with 23. … As a team, the Cardinals are shooting 40 percent from the field (320-for-807), while knocking down 152 of their 214 free throws (71 percent). … 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.
 
Scouting The Carleton Knights:
2017-18 Roster | 2017-18 Statistics | 2017-18 Schedule
• Wednesday's game against Saint Mary's is the first of back-to-back home games for the Knights, who have won just twice in five home contests this season. … Last Saturday's 77-52 win over Concordia snapped Carleton's season-high three-game losing streak. … After opening the season with six wins in its first seven games, Carleton has gone just 2-6 in its last eight contests. … All three of the Knights' losses during its recent three-game slide were decided by four points or less. … Matthew Stritzel scored a team-high 17 points—14 in the first half—to lead the Knights against Concordia last Saturday. Kevin Grow chipped in 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Kenta Hanson also finished in double figures, scoring 12 points. … Stritzel has now led the team in scoring three times this season. … Carleton has had a player score 20 or more points six times through 14 games, led by Hanson, who has achieved the feat three times—including a season-high 30-point effort against Macalester on Dec. 9. … Grow's 16-point, 11-rebound double-double was his 11^th of the season. … Carleton enters Wednesday's rematch against Saint Mary's boasting three players—Grown (18.7 ppg), Hanson (15.9 ppg), and Stritzel (12.1 ppg)—who are averaging in double figures. … Grow is also the team's rebounding lead with 169 *12.1 rpg), while Hanson has also eclipsed the 100-rebound plateau, owning 102 boards (7.3 rpg). … Carleton has five players with 20 or more assists, led by Henry Bensen (49) and Quinn Johnson (36). … Hanson is the team's steals leader with 24 and Grow has amassed a team-best 29 blocks. … As a team, the Knights are shooting 48 percent from the field (376-for-784) and have drained 71 3-pointers. … Stritzel has knocked down a team-best 36 3-pointers this season. … Carleton enters Wednesday's game against Saint Mary's averaging 70.4 ppg, while limiting its opponents to just 63.6 ppg. … Carleton has scored 76 or more points five times this season—including a season-high 101-point effort in a 101-76 win over Macalester on Dec. 9.