By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
WINONA, Minn. — On Wednesday, the Saint Mary's University of Minnesota women's basketball team rode the one-two punch of Brandi Blattner (Eyota, Minn.) and Abby Winter (Winona, Minn.) to a thrilling, 66-60 victory over Saint Benedict.
 
Fast-forward three days, and the Cardinals were once again riding a lethal combination — this time a one-two-three-four punch — to a heart-stopping victory.
 
Saint Mary's put four players in double figures — led by Brooklyn Paulson (Holmen, Wis.) with 16 points — as the Cardinals outlasted Gustavus 72-70 at the Saint Mary's Gym.
 
Gustavus had the upper hand for the majority of the first half, building a five-point lead in the first quarter and a six-point lead in the second. But each time the Gusties appeared to have a strangle-hold on the momentum, the Cardinals would knock down a 3-pointer to wrestle it back.
 
Paulson accounted for nine of SMU's 16 points in the first quarter on three of the Cardinals' four first-quarter 3-pointers, while adding another trey in the second quarter, as Saint Mary's matched Gustavus point-for-point and trailed by three, 32-29 at the half.
 
The Cardinals took command in the second half — thanks in large part to a huge, 25-point third quarter. Saint Mary's built leads as big as seven three times in the third quarter — including 54-47 at the break.
 
Gustavus made things interesting over the game's final 10 minutes, cutting the Saint Mary's deficit to one three times, and trailing by just two, 63-61 with less than four minutes remaining in regulation.
 
Gustavus would cut the lead to one twice in the final minute, but the Cardinals got a clutch basket from Claire Patterson (Marine, Minn.) with 21.1 seconds left, and, after GAC's Kendall Thompson buried a pair of free throws to make it 71-70, Patterson netted one of two from the charity stripe to seal the win.
 
Paulson led four Cardinals in double figures with 16 points — including four 3-pointers — while Blattner added 13, Patterson chipped in 12, and Kirsten Keefe (Chatfield, Minn.) netted 11.
 
Thompson scored 19 points to lead the way for Gustavus (7-5 MIAC, 10-9 overall), with Justine Lee (17), Ava Gonsorowski (14), and Paige Richert (10) also scoring in double figures in the losing effort.
 
The Cardinals (8-4 MIAC, 12-7 overall) — who moved into a tie for third in the MIAC standings with Bethel — are back in action on Wednesday, hosting St. Olaf in a 7 p.m. conference showdown at the Saint Mary's Gym.