By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
NORTHFIELD, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University of Minnesota men's basketball team returns to conference play on Wednesday, as the Cardinals head to Carleton's West Gym for a 7 p.m. rematch against the Knights.
 
The Matchup:
• Saint Mary's Cardinals (2-6 MIAC, 6-7 Overall) at Carleton Knights (2-5 MIAC, 4-8 Overall)
 
GameDay Live On The Web:
• Live Stats * Live Video
 
Last Action:
• Saint Mary's—January 7, 2019 * Arden Hills, Minn.: Bethel knocked down 15 3-pointers — and survived an incredible 18-point second-half showing by the Cardinals' Bradley Hill (Matteson, Ill.) — in dealing Saint Mary's an 87-61 MIAC setback at Robertson Center Gym | Recap
• Carleton—January 7, 2019 * St. Paul, Minn.: With the Knights clinging to a three-point lead early in the second half, Joe Thursby came off the bench and drained three consecutive 3-pointers to ignite the Knights' 67-51 victory over Macalester at Leonard Center | Recap
 
Saint Mary's vs. Carleton — Earlier This Year:
• December 1, 2018 * Winona, Minn.: Carleton scored eight of the game's final 10 points, erasing a one-point Saint Mary's advantage, and dealing the Cardinals a 60-55 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference setback at the Saint Mary's Gym | Recap
 
Saint Mary's vs. Carleton — A Year Ago:
• December 6, 2017 * Winona, Minn.: Kareem Anthony-Bello (Chicago, Ill.) scored in double figures for the third time in his first six collegiate games, but Saint Mary's could not overcome a cold shooting night in falling to Carleton 78-38 at the Saint Mary's Gym | Recap
• January 17, 2018 * Northfield, Minn.: Sawyer Rosner (Phelps, Wis.) had a night to remember, as the freshman scored a career-high 20 points for Saint Mary's against Carleton. James Cullen (Western Springs, Ill.) also enjoyed a hot-shooting night for the Cardinals, pouring in 18 points. Unfortunately, while Rosner and Cullen combined for a whopping 38 points, the rest of the squad managed just 30, as Carleton pulled away in the second half for an 87-68 victory over the Cardinals at West Gym | Recap
 
Up Next:
• Saint Mary's: The Cardinals return home to the Saint Mary's Gym on Saturday, as the Cardinals entertain Macalester in a 3 p.m. conference matchup.
• Carleton: The Knights are back on the road on Saturday, heading to Hamline's Hutton Arena for a 3 p.m. MIAC showdown against the Pipers.
 
Scouting The Saint Mary's Cardinals: 
2018-19 Roster | 2018-19 Schedule | 2018-19 Statistics
• Wednesday's game against Carleton is the second of back-to-back road games for the Cardinals, who play four of their next five contests away from the Saint Mary's Gym. … Saint Mary's setback against Bethel Monday marked just the second road loss of the season for the Cardinals, who are 4-2 away from Saint Mary's Gym. … Bradley Hill (Matteson, Ill.) scored a career-high 18 points — all in the game's final 12 minutes — to lead the Cardinals in scoring against Bethel Monday. … Hill's 18-point effort marks the third straight game in which a Cardinal posted a career-high performance to lead the team in scoring. Nicolas Seaton (Lansing, Ill.) tallied a career-best 12 points — also all in the second half — to pace Saint Mary's against Augsburg last Saturday, while Jacob Chilson (Eau Claire, Wis.) delivered a career-high 15-point showing against Hamline on Jan. 2. … Eli Cave (St. Paul, Minn.) also finished in double figures against Bethel on Monday, netting 15 points. … With his 15-point effort against Bethel Monday, Cave, who owns a team-leading three double-doubles — and missed his fourth by one rebound against Bethel Monday — has now scored 10 or more points in all 13 games this season, including 20 or more points four times. … Cave poured in a season- and career-high 35 points in the Cardinals' nonconference win over Martin Luther on Nov. 17. … Cave's 35-point effort was the highest single-game performance since Michael Burfeind netted 38 against Concordia on Dec. 7, 2011. … Cave and Kareem Anthony-Bello (Chicago, Ill.) each eclipsed the 20-point barrier against Gustavus on Dec. 8 — Cave tossed in a game-high 29 points, while Anthony-Bello chipped in a career-best 21. It's the lone time this season the Cardinals have put two players over the 20-point barrier in the same game. … Cave scored 27 of his 29 points against Gustavus after halftime, while Anthony-Bello netted 17 of his 21 in the game's opening 20 minutes. … The Cardinals boast nine players who have posted single-game career-highs of 10 or more points this season — Cave (35), Anthony-Bello (21), Caden Freetly (Farmington, Minn. / 19), Jakob Bailey (Cameron, Wis. / 19), David Lindstrand (Lakeville, Minn. / 19), Hill (18), Chilson (15), Seaton (12), and Brady Stevens (St. James, Minn. / 12). … Saint Mary's has put four players in double figures in a game four times this season. … Sawyer Rosner (Phelps, Wis.) scored 15 points and added a career-best 12 rebounds against North Park on Dec. 29 en route to his first collegiate double-double. … Anthony-Bello corralled a career-best 13 rebounds against Luther on Nov. 24. … Cave heads into Wednesday's conference matchup against Carleton averaging a team-best 18.7 ppg — ranking the sophomore No. 3 in scoring in the MIAC. … Along with his 18.7 ppg scoring average, Cave also leads the team in rebounds (96, 7.4 rpg) and assists (45). … Freetly (57, 4.4 rpg) and Anthony-Bello (45 / 5.0 rpg) have also collected 40 or more rebounds this season. … Bailey boasts a team-best 11 blocked shots — including a season-high three against Saint John's on Dec. 12 — while Freetly owns a team-leading 11 steals, one more than Lindstrand and Anthony-Bello. … As a team, the Cardinals are shooting 41.4 percent from the field (324-for-782) and are 112-for-168 (66.7 percent) from the free throw line. … Saint Mary's has drained 128 3-pointers through 13 games — including a single-game school-record 14 against Gustavus on Dec. 5. … The Cardinals have knocked down 10 or more 3-pointers in a game seven times this season. … Saint Mary's has six players with 10 or more 3-pointers this season — Gleason (26), Freetly (22), Cave (18), Rosner (18), Anthony-Bello (12), and Bailey (10). … Saint Mary's set single-game season-highs in points (86), FGM (32), FGA (72), 3FGM (14), 3FGA (37), assists (22) and steals (9) against Gustavus on Dec. 8. … Saint Mary's is averaging 68.3 ppg, while the Cardinals' opponents are scoring at a 74.2 ppg clip … The Cardinals have scored 70 or more points in each of their six wins this season — including a season-high 86 points against Gustavus on Dec. 8. … The Cardinals have put an end to three lengthy losing streaks already this season. The Cardinals snapped a 19-game road losing streak with their season-opening 76-71 win at Crown on Nov. 10. Saint Mary's ended a 27-game conference losing streak with a 71-64 win over Concordia on Dec. 5, and, three days later, SMU halted a 35-game road losing streak against Gustavus, beating the Gusties 86-81. It was Saint Mary's first win in St. Peter, since beating GAC 86-82 in overtime during the 1982-83 season. … With their 76-67 win over North Park on Dec. 29, the Cardinals closed out the nonconference portion of their schedule with a 4-1 mark — the lone loss, a 70-60 setback against UW-La Crosse on Nov. 11. … Saint Mary's 3-1 start to the season was its best since the 2010-11 season, when the Cardinals opened 8-1. … With their 76-71 win over Crown on Nov. 10, the Cardinals have now won their season-opener in each of their last five seasons. … Saint Mary's season-opening win over Crown on Nov. 10 was the first collegiate coaching victory for Cardinal head coach Joe Fano.
 
Scouting The Carleton Knights:
2018-19 Roster | 2018-19 Schedule | 2018-19 Statistics
• Following Wednesday's matchup with Saint Mary's, the Knights will play three of their next four games on the road. … All four of the Knights' wins have come on the road — Carleton is 0-4 at West Gym this season. … Monday's 67-51 win over Macalester snapped Carleton's three-game losing streak. … Kent Hanson scored a team-high 19 points and Matthew Stritzel chipped in 15 for the Knights against Macalester on Monday. … Hanson also delivered 10 rebounds vs. Macalester Monday for his third straight double-double — and fifth of the season. … Hanson has now scored 10 or more points in 12 of the team's 13 contests. … Hanson enters Wednesday's showdown with Saint Mary's averaging a team-leading 18.9 ppg — putting him No. 2 in scoring in the MIAC behind Augsburg's Booker Coplin (24.1 ppg). … Stritzel is also averaging in double figures for the Knights, sitting at 13.8 ppg. … Carleton has had a player score 20 or more points in a game five times this season — the top four spots held by Hanson, who has put together games of 24, 26, 26, and 32 points. Stritzel owns the other 20-plus point game with a 21-point showing. … Along with his 18.9 ppg scoring average, Hanson also boasts a team-high 98 rebounds (8.2 rpg). Quinn Johnson (59, 4.9 rpg) and Stritzel (53, 4.4 rpg) have also hauled in 50 or more boards this season. … Johnson is the team's assist leader with 38, while Stritzel has amassed a team-high 15 steals, one more than Johnson and Henry Bensen. … Carleton is shooting 42.7 percent from the field (278-for-651) and has knocked down 120 of 203 free throw attempts (59.1 percent). … Carleton has tossed in 75 3-pointers through 12 games, led by Stritzel with 38 and Hanson with 16. … The Knights are averaging 62.6 ppg, while their opponents are scoring at a 68.2 ppg clip. … The Knights have been held under 70 points in nine of their 12 games — the lone exceptions: a 79-74 win over UW-Eau Claire, an 81-71 loss to UW-River Falls, and a 73-72 setback against Bethel.