By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University of Minnesota men's basketball team returns to Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play on Saturday, as the Cardinals travel to Hamline's Hutton Arena for showdown with the Pipers. Opening tip is set for 1 p.m.
 
The Matchup:
• Saint Mary's Cardinals (0-10 MIAC, 1-14 Overall) at Hamline Pipers (3-7 MIAC, 7-8 Overall)
 
GameDay Live On The Web:
• Live Stats * Live Video
 
Last Action:
• Saint Mary's—January 17, 2018 * Northfield, Minn.: Sawyer Rosner (Phelps, Wis.) scored a team- and career-high 20 points, and James Cullen (Western Springs, Ill.) added 18, but it was not enough, as Carleton outscored Saint Mary's 53-38 in the second half in dealing the Cardinals an 87-68 MIAC setback at West Gym | Recap
• Hamline—January 17, 2018 * Northfield, Minn.: Isaac Brooks scored a team-high 23 points, but St. Olaf erased a one-point halftime deficit, outscoring the Pipers 32-28 in the second half in slipping past HU 60-57 at Skoglund Center | Recap
 
Saint Mary's vs. Hamline—A Year Ago:
• January 2, 2017 * St. Paul, Minn.: In both of their Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference meetings against Hamline a year ago, Saint Mary's used big second halves to pull away from the Pipers. Unlike those previous two meetings—not to the mention a nail-biting first half—however, there would be no "pulling away" this time around. And, unfortunately for coach Jamison Rusthoven, there would be no Cardinal victory, either. Hamline scored seven of the game's final nine points to hand the Cardinals an 89-86 conference setback at Hutton Arena | Recap
• February 1, 2017 * Winona, Minn.: The Cardinals, coming off a heartbreaking 78-76 loss to Macalester—in which the Scots scored the game's final six points, including the game-winner with 0.7 seconds remaining—were clinging to a one-point, 69-68 advantage with 24.2 seconds left in regulation in their showdown with Hamline. Saint Mary's was a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line over those final 24.2 seconds in holding off Hamline 75-70 in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference showdown at the Saint Mary's Gym | Recap
 
Up Next:
• Saint Mary's: The Cardinals are back in Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference action on Monday, entertaining St. Thomas in a 7 p.m. showdown at the Saint Mary's Gym.
• Hamline: The Pipers hit the road on Monday, traveling to Concordia's Memorial Auditorium in Moorhead, Minn., for a 7 p.m. matchup against the Cobbers.
 
Scouting The Saint Mary's Cardinals:
2017-18 Roster | 2017-18 Statistics | 2017-18 Schedule
• Saturday's game at Hamline is the second straight road game for the Cardinals. The Cardinals have collected five of their last seven wins on their home court. … Sawyer Rosner (Phelps, Wis.) scored a team- and career-high 20 points in the Cardinals' 87-68 loss to Carleton Wednesday. … James Cullen (Western Springs, Ill.) and Jakob Bailey (Cameron, Wis.) also scored in double figures against the Knights Wednesday, finishing with 18 and 10 points, respectively. … The Cardinals boast nine players who have recorded single-game career-highs of 10 or more points this season—Cullen (24), Rosner (20), Bailey (18), Kareem Anthony-Bello (Chicago, Ill. / 16), David Lindstrand (Lakeville, Minn. / 15), Nate Urell (Fountain City, Wis. / 14), Brady Stevens (St. James, Minn. / 12), Christian Oliveras (Bolingbrook, Ill. / 11), and Kristjan Meitz (Waukesha, Wis. / 10). … With his 20-point showing against Carleton Wednesday, Rosner became the second Cardinal to reach the 20-point plateau this season—Cullen poured in a team-, season- and career-best 24 points against Martin Luther on Nov. 15. … 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. … Bailey enters Saturday's matchup at Hamline averaging a team-best 10.0 ppg, while Cullen (9.7 ppg), Anthony-Bello (9.5 ppg), and Rosner (9.3 ppg) are all averaging more than nine points. … Anthony-Bello is the team's rebounding leader with 65 (4.3 rpg), two more than Bailey (63, 4.2 rpg) … Lindstrand boasts a team-high 32 assists. He is one of four players with 20 or more assists through 15 games—Cullen (24), Bailey (23), and Bradley Hill (Matteson, Ill. / 21) are the other three. … Anthony-Bello owns a team-high 20 steals, while Bailey has accounted for 12 of the team's 31 blocked shots. … The Cardinals equaled their season high with 10 3-pointers against Concordia on Jan. 8. 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 99 3-pointers through 15 games, led by Cullen with 30 and Anthony-Bello with 24. … As a team, the Cardinals are shooting 40 percent from the field (349-for-864), while knocking down 156 of their 223 free throws (70 percent). … The Cardinals put a season-high five players in double figures in their 86-76 loss to Concordia-Chicago on Nov. 25. … The Cardinals' 87 points in their 116-87 MIAC loss to Macalester on Jan. 13 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. … 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 Hamline Pipers:
2017-18 Roster | 2017-18 Statistics | 2017-18 Schedule
• Saturday's game against Saint Mary's will be the fourth home game in the last five contests for the Pipers, who are 4-2 at Hutton Arena this season. … Wednesday's 60-57 loss to St. Olaf was the second straight game decided by four points or less for the Pipers, who edged Carleton 51-47 on Jan. 10. … Eleven of Hamline's 15 games have been decided by 10 points or less. … Isaac Brook scored a career-high 23 points in the Pipers' three-point loss to St. Olaf Wednesday. Zach Smith also finished the night in double figures, netting 13. … The Pipers have now had a different player lead them in scoring in each of their last three games—Smith tossed in 12 vs. Carleton on Jan. 10 and Dylan See-Rockers netted 18 vs. Bethel on Jan. 8. … Smith scored a career-high 34 points in Hamline's 118-96 win over Macalester on Jan. 6. The senior did not miss a shot vs. the Scots, going 11-for-11 from the field—including 4-for-4 from behind the 3-point line—and 8-for-8 from the free throw line. … Smith has now scored 30 or more points in a game twice this season, having netted 31 in a 73-71 victory over Williams on Dec. 29. … The Pipers head into Saturday's home contest against Saint Mary's boasting three players—Smith (15.6 ppg), Brooks (14.5 ppg), and See-Rockers (11.3 ppg)—averaging in double figures. … See-Rockers owns a team-leading 78 rebounds (5.2 rpg), with Brooks (71 / 4.7 rpg) and Kalu Abosi (52, 3.5 rpg) close behind. … Along with his team-leading 15.6 ppg scoring average, Smith also leads the Pipers in assists (68) and steals (20), while Ethan Scheuring has accounted for 12 of the team's 27 blocked shots. … Hamline is shooting 48 percent from the field (40-3for-843) and have knocked down 110 3-pointers, led by See-Rockers with 25 and Smith with 19. … The Pipers are averaging 71.5 ppg, while limiting their opponents to a 69.1 ppg scoring average. … Hamline has scored 100 or more points twice this season—netting 106 in a 106-72 win over Northwestern on Nov. 15, while posting a season-high 116 in routing Macalester 116-98 on Jan. 6. … Hamline's 118 points against Macalester shattered the Pipers' single-game program-record of 108, also posted against Macalester in 2011.