By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University of Minnesota women's basketball team is back on its home court for a second straight game on Saturday, as the Cardinals entertain Gustavus in a 1 p.m. MIAC contest at the Saint Mary's Gym.
 
The Matchup:
• Saint Mary's Cardinals (7-4 MIAC, 11-7 Overall) vs. Gustavus Gusties (7-4 MIAC, 10-8 Overall)
 
GameDay Live On The Web:
• Live Stats * Live Video
 
Last Action:
• Saint Mary's—January 23, 2019 * Winona, Minn.: The Cardinals got double-double performances from both Brandi Blattner (Eyota, Minn.) and Abby Winter (Winona, Minn.) — and knocked down four straight free throws down the stretch — in securing a 66-60 conference win over Saint Benedict at the Saint Mary's Gym | Recap
• Gustavus—January 23, 2019 * Northfield, Minn.: The Gusties got a game-high 26-point performance from Kendall Thompson, as GAC cruised to a 78-60 win over St. Olaf at Skoglund Center | Recap
 
Saint Mary's vs. Gustavus — Earlier This Year:
• December 8, 2018 * St. Peter, Minn.: The Gusties headed into their conference showdown with the Cardinals unbeaten in four contests at Gus Young Court — and the Cardinals were determined not to be victim No. 5. Gustavus, however, had other ideas, scoring early and often — while holding the Cardinals at bay down the stretch — to deal Saint Mary's its first conference loss of the season, a 65-56 decision | Recap
 
Saint Mary's vs. Gustavus — A Year Ago:
• January 10, 2018 * St. Peter, Minn.: The 20^th-ranked Gusties raced out to a 35-15 halftime lead and never took their foot off the accelerator in dealing Saint Mary's a 65-38 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference setback at Gus Young Court | Recap
   
Up Next:
• Saint Mary's: The Cardinals will play their third straight home game on Wednesday, as Saint Mary's entertains St. Olaf in a 7 p.m. conference matchup at the Saint Mary's Gym.
• Gustavus: The Gusties head to Hamline's Hutton Arena in St. Paul, Minn., on Wednesday, squaring off against the Pipers in a 7 p.m. MIAC contest.
 
Scouting The Saint Mary's Cardinals: 
2018-19 Roster | 2018-19 Schedule | 2018-19 Statistics
• With Wednesday's 66-60 win over Saint Benedict, the Cardinals are currently tied for third in the MIAC standings with seven games remaining in the regular season. St. Thomas leads the league at 11-0, followed by Augsburg at 9-1. Saint Mary's, Bethel, and Gustavus are all deadlocked at 7-4, one game in front of Saint Benedict and two in front of Hamline. … Saturday's game against Gustavus is the second of three straight home games for the Cardinals, who are 6-3 at the Saint Mary's Gym this season. … Saint Mary's heads into Saturday's game against Gustavus having won four of its last five. The Cardinals had their three-game winning streak snapped with last Saturday's 68-41 loss to No. 4/5 St. Thomas. … The Cardinals got a pair of double-doubles in Wednesday's 66-60 win over Saint Benedict — Brandi Blattner (Eyota, Minn.) delivered a 22-point, 13-rebound effort, while Abby Winter (Winona, Minn.) chipped in 15 points and a game- and career-high 16 rebounds. … The double double-double marks the first time since the 2010 season that the Cardinals have had two players with 10 or more points and rebounds in the same game. Jamie Stefely (10 points, 10 rebounds) and Jess Thone (13 points, 10 rebounds) were the last two achieve the feat on Dec. 4, 2010 against Macalester. … Blattner's 22-point performance against Saint Benedict Wednesday marked the fifth time this season the Cardinals have had a player score 20 or more points. Blattner has scored 22 points in a game twice, while Brooklyn Paulson (Holmen, Wis.) has put together games of 20, 20, and 23 points. … Paulson knocked down a single-game career-high seven 3-pointers en route to her season- and career-high 23-point showing against Augsburg on Jan. 5. Paulson's seven 3-pointers were one shy of the school record, set by Ashley Luehmann on Jan. 22, 2005. … Blattner has now scored 20 or more points 23 times in her four-year collegiate career — including a career-best 30 points against Augsburg on Jan. 27, 2018. … Blattner now leads the team with five double-doubles, giving the senior 35 for her Cardinal career. … Rachel Kedl (Lamberton, Minn.) is second to Blattner with four double-doubles. Winter's 15-point, 16-rebound effort against Saint Benedict was her first double-double of the season, while Maggie Robertson (Orland Park, Ill.) also owns a double-double this season, scoring 19 points and adding 11 rebounds against Carleton on Dec. 1 … Winter's 16 rebounds against Saint Benedict Wednesday were a career-high. Kedl (12) and Robertson (11) have also recorded single-game career-highs of 10 or more rebounds. … The Cardinals have had six different players lead the team in scoring this season. … Saint Mary's boasts eight players who have recorded a single-game career-high of 10 or more points this season — Paulson (23), Robertson (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). … Saint Mary's has put four players in double figures in a game three times this year — vs. Nebraska Wesleyan on Nov. 17, against Bethany Lutheran on Nov 24, and vs. North Central (Ill.) on Dec. 22. … Blattner heads into Saturday's conference showdown against Gustavus leading the team in scoring, averaging 14.4 ppg. Paulson is also averaging in double figures (11.4 ppg), followed by Kedl (6.9 ppg), Claire Patterson (Marine, Minn. / 6.1 ppg), and Robertson (5.4 ppg). … Kedl is the team's rebounding leader with 112 (6.6 rpg), followed by Blattner (103, 8.6 rpg). … Saint Mary's has three players with 40 or more assists — Kirsten Keefe (Chatfield, Minn. / 52), Patterson (50), and Hallie Schmeling (Onalaska, Wis. / 44). … Keefe also leads the team in steals with 20. … Saint Mary's is shooting 39.4 percent from the field (424-for-1076), while knocking down 206 of 303 free throws (68.0 percent). … The Cardinals have drained 100 3-pointers, led by Paulson with 44. … The Cardinals recorded a season-high nine 3-pointers against Augsburg on Jan. 5. Saint Mary's has now hit seven or more 3-pointers in a game six times this season. … As a team, the Cardinals are averaging 64.1 ppg, while allowing points at a 61.9 ppg clip. … Saint Mary's hauled in a season-high 56 rebounds against Carleton in the teams' first meeting on Dec. 1. … The Cardinals have scored 70 or more points five times 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. … Carleton's 48 points on Jan. 9 were the fewest allowed by the Cardinals this season. … Saint Mary's 72-57 win over North Central (Ill.) on Dec. 22 was the final nonconference game of the season for the Cardinals, who went 4-3 against non-MIAC opponents. … 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 Gustavus Gusties:
2018-19 Roster | 2018-19 Schedule | 2018-19 Statistics
• Wednesday's 78-60 win over St. Olaf was Gustavus' eighth home win of the season — the Gusties are just 2-6 away from Gus Young Court this season. … Gustavus' 78-60 win over St. Olaf Wednesday pushed the Gusties' winning streak to three straight. … Kendall Thompson scored a game-high 26 points in leading Gustavus to its 78-60 win over St. Olaf Wednesday, while Paige Richert and Justine Lee chipped in 12 and 11 points, respectively. … Thompson's 26-point showing against St. Olaf Wednesday marked the fourth time this season she has scored 23 or more points in a game. … Thompson's 26-point night was tied for the Gusties' single-game season high. Lee also netted 26 in GAC's first meeting with Saint Mary's on Dec. 8. … Along with her 12 points, Richert also added 10 rebounds in posting her third double-double of the season. … The Gusties head into Saturday's game at Saint Mary's boasting three players who are averaging in double figures — Thompson (14.2 ppg), Lee (13.3 ppg), and Richert (10.3 ppg). … Thompson is also the team's rebounding lead with 103 (5.7 rpg), one more than Richert (102, 5.7 rpg). … Gustavus boasts three players who have dished out more than 40 assists this season — Ava Gonsorowski (61), Thompson (60), and Lee (43). … Thompson has collected a team-best 56 steals, while Lee is the team-leader in blocked shots with 11. … Gustavus is showing 39.9 percent from the field (437-for-1094) and 71.0 percent from the free throw line (240-for-338. … The Gusties have drained 90 3-pointers, led by Lee (23), Maddie Wagner (14), and Thompson (13). … Gustavus is averaging 66.9 ppg, while limiting their opponents to a 58.1 ppg scoring average. … The Gusties have scored 70 or more points eight times — all wins — including a season-high 87 in dropping Martin Luther 87-46 on Nov. 17.