By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University of Minnesota women's basketball team steps out of conference play on Wednesday, as the Cardinals entertain Viterbo in a 7 p.m. nonconference game at the Saint Mary's Gym.
 
The Matchup:
• Saint Mary's Cardinals (6-3 Overall) vs. Viterbo V-Hawks (6-6 Overall)
 
GameDay Live On The Web:
• Live Stats * Live Video
 
Last Action:
• Saint Mary's—December 12, 2018 * St. Joseph, Minn.: Rachel Kedl (Lamberton, Minn.) scored 14 points and Brandi Blattner (Eyota, Minn.) added 12, as the Cardinals — fueled by a 9-2 start — rolled to a 77-51 MIAC win over Saint Benedict at Claire Lynch Hall | Recap
• Viterbo—December 15, 2018 * St. Paul, Minn.: The V-Hawks jumped out to a 24-14 first-quarter lead, but were outscored in each of the final three quarters — including 15-6 in the second quarter — as Hamline dealt Viterbo a 69-61 nonconference setback at HU's Hutton Arena | Recap
 
Saint Mary's vs. Viterbo — A Year Ago:
• December 30, 2018 * La Crosse, Wis.: The Cardinals scored the game's first seven points and never relinquished the lead en route to their second straight win, a 76-65 nonconference decision over Viterbo at R.W. Beggs Sr. Gymnasium | Recap
 
Up Next:
• Saint Mary's: The Cardinals are right back in action on Saturday, when they return to the Saint Mary's Gym for a 3 p.m. nonconference game against North Central (Ill.).
• Viterbo: The V-Hawks are now off until Dec. 30, when they head to Davenport, Iowa for a 2 p.m. matchup against Saint Ambrose.
 
Scouting The Saint Mary's Cardinals: 
2018-19 Roster | 2018-19 Schedule | 2018-19 Statistics
• Wednesday's game against Viterbo is the first of back-to-back nonconference home games for the Cardinals, who have played six of their first nine games on the road this season. … With their 77-51 win over Saint Benedict last Wednesday, the Cardinals have now won three of their last four and are 6-2 in their last eight. … Rachel Kedl (Lamberton, Minn.) and Brandi Blattner (Eyota, Minn.) each scored in double figures against Saint Benedict last Wednesday, with Kedl tossing in a team-high 14 points, while Blattner chipped in 12. … The Cardinals have had five different players lead the team in scoring in each of their last five games. … Blattner (Eyota, Minn.) picked up her first double-double of the season — and 31^st of her collegiate career — with 15 points and 13 rebounds against Gustavus on Dec. 8. … Saint Mary's boasts eight players who have recorded a single-game career-high of 10 or more points this season — Brooklyn Paulson (Holmen, Wis. / 20), Maggie Robertson (Orland Park, Ill. / 19), Kedl (16), Jada Biermeier (Eau Claire, Wis. / 15), Caily Landers (Palos Heights, Ill. / 12), Isabel Bettag (Maple Park, Ill. / 11), Michele Remer (Grand Forks, N.D. / 11), and Mary Wintroath (Suffern, N.Y. / 10). … Paulson has scored a season- and career-high 20 points twice this season — vs. Carleton on Dec. 1 and against St. Scholastica on Nov. 20. … Robertson picked up her first collegiate double-double against Carleton on Dec. 1, scoring a career-best 19 points and added a career-high 11 rebounds. … Kedl — who leads the team with three double-doubles — hauled in a career-high 12 rebounds against Bethany Lutheran on Nov. 24. … Saint Mary's has put four players in double figures in a game twice this year — vs. Nebraska Wesleyan on Nov. 17 and against Bethany Lutheran on Nov 24. … Paulson heads into Wednesday's nonconference showdown against Viterbo leading the team in scoring, averaging 13.0 ppg. Blattner is also averaging in double figures (11.7 ppg), followed by Robertson (9.1 ppg) and Kedl (8.6 ppg). … Kedl is the team's rebounding leader with 62 (7.8 rpg) — including a team-high eight against Saint Benedict last Wednesday — while Remer (51, 5.7 rpg), Robertson (39, 4.3 rpg), and Kirsten Keefe (Chatfield, Minn., 36, 4.5 rpg) have also recorded 30 or more boards this season. … Saint Mary's has three players with 20 or more assists — Hallie Schmeling (Onalaska, Wis. / 30), Keefe (29), and Claire Patterson (Marine, Minn. / 26). … Schmeling and Keefe have each recorded single-game season-highs of eight assists this season. … Kedl and Patterson share the team lead in steals with nine, one more than Ewelina Schlomann (New Berlin, Wis.), Remer, and Keefe. … Saint Mary's is shooting 40 percent from the field (225-for-554), while knocking down 110 of 165 free throws (67 percent). … The Cardinals have drained 52 3-pointers, led by Paulson with 24. … The Cardinals have drained a season-high seven 3-pointers in a game four times this season. … As a team, the Cardinals are averaging 68.0 ppg, while allowing points at a 62.9 ppg clip. … Saint Mary's hauled in a season-high 56 rebounds against Carleton on Dec. 1. … The Cardinals have scored 70 or more points in four of their nine games this season — including two games of 80 or more points. … Saint Mary's season-high 87 points against Nebraska Wesleyan on Nov. 17 are the most since tossing in 88 in beating Crown 88-34 on Nov. 21, 2015. … Saint Benedict's 51 points last Wednesday were the fewest allowed by the Cardinals this season. … The Cardinals picked up their first win under head coach David Foley with their 87-76 triumph over Nebraska Wesleyan on Nov. 17. … Three of the Cardinals' first four games were against teams they had never faced before — Bethany Lutheran on Nov. 24, and Simpson and Nebraska Wesleyan on Nov. 16-17. … The Cardinals — picked sixth in the MIAC Preseason Coaches' Poll — made their sixth MIAC Playoff appearance in the last seven years last season.
 
Scouting The Viterbo V-Hawks:
2018-19 Roster | 2018-19 Schedule | 2018-19 Statistics
• Wednesday's game against Saint Mary's is the second of three straight road contests for the V-Hawks, who are 3-3 on the road this season. … Saint Mary's is the second straight Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opponent for the V-Hawks, who lost to Hamline 69-61 last Saturday. … The V-Hawks have lost back-to-back games just once this season, and on the flip side, Viterbo has also won back-to-back games just once through the season's first 12 games. … Viterbo put three players in double figures in last Saturday's loss to Hamline — led by Alyssa Nilssen with 16 points. Ambree Schlosser and Madessa Collins chipped in 15 and 10 points, respectively. … Nilssen also hauled in a team-high 11 rebounds against Hamline last Saturday for her sixth double-double of the season. … The V-Hawks enter Wednesday's nonconference game at Saint Mary's boasting a pair of players averaging in double figures. Nilssen — who scored a season-high 32 points against Silver Lake on Nov. 2 — is the team's scoring leader at 15.4 ppg, while Schlosser is close behind at 12.5 ppg. … Nilssen also leads the team in rebounds with 123 (10.3 rpg), while Schlosser boasts team-highs in both assists (20) and steals (26). … Viterbo is shooting 37 percent from the field (268-for-716) and have knocked down 118 of 189 free throws (62 percent). … The V-Hawks have drained 80 3-pointers, led by Madison Doerr with 17. Schlosser (12), Nilssen (10), and Payton Curry (10) have also drained 10 or more 3-pointers this season. … As a team, the V-Hawks are averaging 61.2 ppg, while their opponents are scoring at a 63.8 ppg clip. … Viterbo has scored 70 or more points three times this season, including a season-high 74 in an 81-74 loss to Waldorf on Dec. 3.