By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director

WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University of Minnesota women's basketball team returns to Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play on Wednesday, as the Cardinals entertain Carleton in a 7 p.m. matchup at the Saint Mary's Gym.
 
The Matchup:
• Saint Mary's Cardinals (3-5 MIAC, 8-7 Overall) vs. Carleton Knights (4-4 MIAC, 7-8 Overall)
 
GameDay Live On The Web:
• Live Stats * Live Video | GameDay Program
 
Last Action:
• Saint Mary's—January 13, 2018 * Winona, Minn.: Macalester's assistant coaches Courtney Euerle and Sara Schoenthaler—both former standout players for the Cardinals—returned to the Saint Mary's Gym, and learned first-hand just how good Saint Mary's can be, as SMU rolled to a 73-45 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference win over the Scots | Recap
• Carleton—January 13, 2018 * Moorhead, Minn.: Katie Chavez scored a game-high 22 points to lead three Knight players in double figures, as Carleton rolled to a64-53 conference win over Concordia at Memorial Auditorium | Recap
 
Saint Mary's vs. Carleton—Earlier This Year:
• December 6, 2017 * Northfield, Minn.: Despite giving up the game's first five points, the Cardinals battled Carleton right down to the wire, scoring the game's final eight points in dealing the Knights a 71-64 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference setback at West Gym | Recap
 
Saint Mary's vs. Carleton—A Year Ago:
• November 30, 2016 * Northfield, Minn.: Talk about a a little conference-opening flair for the dramatic. The Cardinals outscored Carleton 14-4 in those final two minutes—the final basket a buzzer-beater by Brandi Blattner (Eyota, Minn.) to knot the game at 56-56 and force a five-minute overtime period. And the Cardinals needed all five minutes to seal the win. Carleton scored four of the first six points in OT, and led 60-59—and had the ball—with 18 seconds remaining. The Cardinals promptly forced the Knights into a turnover, setting up Schaefer's last-second bank shot from the top of the key that iced the 61-60, come-from-behind win | Recap
• January 25, 2017 * Winona, Minn.: Saint Mary's suffered through a nearly nine-minute scoreless drought through most of the first quarter and into the second—and the Cardinals never recovered in falling to the visiting Knights 65-48 at the Saint Mary's Gym | Recap
 
Up Next:
• Saint Mary's: The Cardinals hit the road on Saturday, traveling to Hamline's Hutton Arena in St. Paul, Minn., for a 3 p.m. Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference showdown with the Pipers.
• Carleton: The Knights return home to West Gym in Northfield, Minn., on Saturday, entertaining Bethel in a 3 p.m. conference contest.
 
Scouting The Saint Mary's Cardinals:
2017-18 Roster | 2017-18 Schedule | 2017-18 Statistics
• Wednesday's game against Carleton is the second straight home game for the Cardinals, who have posted four of their eight wins on their home court. … Last Saturday's 73-45 victory over Macalester snapped the Cardinals' season-high three-game losing streak. … The Cardinals' 73 points against Macalester last Saturday marked the fifth time this season Saint Mary's has scored 70 or more points in a game. Saint Mary's netted a season-high 81 against UM-Morris on Nov. 18. … Macalester's 45 points last Saturday were the fewest allowed by Saint Mary's this season. … The Cardinals' 81-point effort against UM-Morris on Nov. 18 was their highest single-game offensive output since scoring 81 in an 81-79 win over Augsburg on Jan. 11, 2017. The last time Saint Mary's scored more than 81 points was during the 2015-16 season, when the Cardinals scored 85 in beating St. Olaf 85-56 on Feb. 13, 2016. … The Cardinals have now scored 60 or more points in 20 of their last 21 wins—the lone exception, a 56-52 win over Macalester on Jan. 4, 2017. … Eight of Saint Mary's 15 games have been decided by seven points or less. … Alexa Huisman (Adrian, Minn.) scored a team- and game-high 17 points against Macalester last Saturday, while Brandi Blattner (Eyota, Minn.) and Kirsten Keefe (Chatfield, Minn.) chipped in 16 and 10 points, respectively. … Blattner has led the team in scoring in 10 of their 15 games this season, while Huisman's team-high 17-point showing vs. the Scots was the fourth time the senior has been the team's scoring leader. … Blattner has scored 10 or more points in 14 of the team's 15 games this season. … Blattner's 15-point, 11-rebound double-double against Saint Benedict on Jan. 6 was her eighth of the season—and 26^th of her three-year collegiate career. … Blattner has recorded 10 or more rebounds eight times this season and 33 times as a Cardinal. … Blattner poured in a season-high 27 points in the Cardinals' 69-59 loss to Augsburg on Dec. 2. The 27-point effort was just one shy of her single-game career high—28-point showings against both Bethel and St. Olaf last season. … Huisman equaled her season high with a team- and game-high 19 points against St. Olaf on Dec. 12. … Huisman's 19-point effort was one shy of her career best. … Abby Winter (Winona, Minn.) scored a game- and career-high 25 points against Bethel on Dec. 9. … With her 25-point effort against Bethel, Winter became the first Cardinal besides Blattner to score 20 or more points this season. … Saint Mary's boasts three players who have recorded single-game career highs of 10 or more points this season—Winter (25), Hallie Schmeling (Onalaska, Wis. / 15), and Rachel Kedl (Lamberton, Minn. / 10). … Kedl recorded a career-best 10 rebounds against Augsburg on Dec. 2. She is the second Cardinal freshman to post 10 or more boards in a game this season—Winter recorded an 11-rebound effort in Saint Mary's season-opening win over Martin Luther on Nov. 15. … The Cardinals put a season-high five players in double figures in their 74-70 win over the University of Dubuque on Nov. 21. … Blattner (17.1 ppg) and Huisman (12.4 ppg) enter Wednesday's conference game against Carleton averaging in double figures. … Blattner also leads the team in rebounds with 151 (10.1 rpg). … Blattner's 10.2 rpg ranks her second in the MIAC, while her 17.1 ppg scoring average is third. … Saint Mary's boasts nine players with 10 or more assists, led by Kirsten Keefe (36), Blattner (32), and Schmeling (26). … Keefe holds the team lead in steals with 15, one more than Blattner and two in front of Huisman. … The Cardinals, who finished with 141 3-pointers a year ago, knocked down a season-best 13 treys against UM-Morris on Nov. 18. … The Cardinals' 13 3-pointers vs. UM-Morris on Nov. 18 are the most since raining in 14 against St. Catherine on Jan. 22, 2005. … Saint Mary's has drained 99 3-pointers through 15 games—with 14 different players knocking down at least one. … Huisman—who equaled her season high with six 3-pointers against St. Olaf on Dec. 12—leads the Cardinals with 43 treys. … Saint Mary's had six different players net a 3-pointer against UM-Morris on Nov. 18. … The Cardinals enter Wednesday's game against Carleton averaging 64.5 ppg, while limiting their opponents to a 62.3 ppg scoring average. … Saint Mary's one-point victory over Martin Luther on Nov. 15 was its second one-point win in the last two years—with both being decided by a 61-60 final score. The Cardinals dropped Carleton 61-60 in overtime last season. … With their 61-60 win over Martin Luther on Nov. 15, the Cardinals have now won their season-opener in each of their last six seasons, dating back to a 63-58 loss to Elmhurst on Nov. 22, 2011.
 
Scouting The Carleton Knights:
2017-18 Roster | 2017-18 Statistics | 2017-18 Schedule
• Wednesday's game against Saint Mary's is the second of back-to-back road games for the Knights, who will play their next three games on their home court. … Last Saturday's 64-53 win over Concordia was the Knights' second straight win. Carleton snapped a season-high four-game losing streak with a 71-66 win over Hamline last Wednesday. … Katie Chavez scored a game- and career-high 22 points to lead three Knight players in double figures against the Cobbers last Saturday. Sarah Waldfogel and Cece Leone each chipped in 14 points vs. CC. … Chavez's career-best 22-point effort marked the third time in the last four games in which the sophomore has eclipsed the 20-point barrier. Chavez scored 20 points against St. Thomas on Jan. 6 and added 21 vs. Hamline last Wednesday. … Chavez heads into Wednesday's rematch against Saint Mary's leading the team with a 14.1 ppg scoring average. Samantha Cooke (10.8 ppg), Leone (10.3 ppg) and Waldfogel (10.2 ppg) are also averaging in double figures for the Knights. … Carleton has had a player score 20 or more points in a game six times, including season-high 22-point efforts from both Chavez (vs. Concordia) and Leone (vs. Macalester). … Anne Hamilton owns a team-high 133 rebounds (8.9 rpg)—including a season- and career-high 19-rebound effort against Northwestern on Nov. 21. … Hamilton has recorded 10 or more rebounds in a game five times and owns a pair of double-doubles. … Carleton boasts five players with 20 or more assists, led by Chavez with 43 and Hamilton with 37. … Hamilton is also the team's steals leader (27) and shares the top spot in blocks (14) with Waldfogel. … Carleton is shooting 39 percent from the field (340-for-872) and has made 71 3-pointers. … Chavez has been the Knights' top outside threat, pouring in a team-leading 41 3-pointers. … Carleton is averaging 61.7 ppg, while allowing 63.2 ppg. … The Knights have eclipsed the 70-point barrier four times this season, including a season-high 80-point effort in an 84-80 loss to Augsburg on Dec. 13. … Carleton has played one overtime game this season, beating North Park 65-57 on Dec. 16.