By ALEX NUEHRING
Saint Mary's Sports Information Intern
 
WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University of Minnesota women's basketball team made life easy on coach Brent Pollari Saturday afternoon.
 
With a win over Hamline in their regular-season finale, the Cardinals would secure the No. 5 seed in the upcoming Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Playoffs—while a loss to the Pipers would lead to a series of complicated tiebreakers.

Saint Mary's also made life easy for their lone senior, Alexa Huisman (Adrian, Minn.), who got to celebrate her final collegiate home game with a 57-46 victory on Senior Day.
 
The Cardinals closed out the regular season with a 15-10 overall record—including a 10-8 mark in conference play—and will head to fourth-seeded Bethel on Tuesday for a 7 p.m. MIAC Playoff opener.
 
After Hamline scored the game's first basket, Saint Mary's took control, scoring the next seven points—highlighted by a 3-pointer by Huisman—but a quarter-ending 7-0 burst by Hamline pulled the Pipers even, 11-11, heading into the second quarter.
 
Saint Mary's quickly flipped the momentum, netting the first 14 points of the second quarter, thanks to a pair of field goals by Brandi Blattner (Eyota, Minn.) and six points—a 3-pointer and three free throws—by Huisman.
 
The Pipers trimmed the Cardinals' lead to eight, 27-19, with an 8-2 run with just over a minute left in the half, but Abby Winter (Winona, Minn.) made a free throw and Saint Mary's defense held Hamline scoreless the rest of the way to give the Cardinals an nine-point, 28-19 cushion at halftime.
 
Hamline opened the third quarter by draining back-to-back 3-pointers to cut Saint Mary's lead to three, 28-25, only to have the Cardinals respond with four straight points to regain a seven-point edge.
 
However, the Cardinals responded with four straight points to push their lead to seven, and Saint Mary's would pad that lead to nine, 44-35 heading into the final quarter.
 
Shayley Vesel (Austin, Minn.) got the Cardinals off to a good start in the fourth quarter, nailing a 3-pointer, and, after Hamline scored four straight points, Winter made a 3-pointer to give Saint Mary's a 12-point lead, 51-39, with just over six minutes left in the game.
 
The Pipers would cut the Cardinals' lead to single digits, but a Huisman layup iced the win for the Cardinals.
 
Blattner led Saint Mary's with a double-double of 19 points and 12 rebounds, while Huisman also had a strong game with 15 points and six rebounds.
 
Alaina Quaranta led Hamline with 14 points, while Morgan Coleman added eight points and seven rebounds.