By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University of Minnesota women's basketball team is back in conference play on Wednesday, as the Cardinals entertain Carleton in 7 p.m. contest at the Saint Mary's Gym.
 
The Matchup:
• Saint Mary's Cardinals (3-3 MIAC, 7-6 Overall) vs. Carleton Knights (0-6 MIAC, 3-10 Overall)
 
GameDay Live On The Web:
• Live Stats * Live Video
 
Last Action:
• Saint Mary's—January 5, 2019 * Winona, Minn.: Augsburg, which never led until four minutes into the game's final quarter, erupted for 25 fourth-quarter points — and held Saint Mary's without a basketball for the game's final 4:20 in knocking out the Cardinals 73-62 at the Saint Mary's Gym | Recap
• Carleton—January 5, 2019 * Northfield, Minn.: Gustavus raced out to a 19-9 first-quarter lead and never looked back, as the Gusties rolled to a 73-43 conference win over the Knights at West Gym | Recap
 
Saint Mary's vs. Carleton — Earlier This Year:
• December 1, 2018 * Northfield, Minn.: Saint Mary's put three players in double figures — including a 20-point effort from Brooklyn Paulson (Holmen, Wis.) and a career-high 19 points from Maggie Robertson (Orland Park, Ill.) — and cruised to a 78-57 conference win over the Knights at West Gym | Recap
 
Saint Mary's vs. Carleton — A Year Ago:
• December 6, 2017 * Northfield, Minn.: Despite giving up the game's first five points, the Cardinals battled Carleton right down to the wire, scoring the game's final eight points in dealing the Knights a 71-64 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference setback at West Gym | Recap
• January 17, 2018 * Winona, Minn.: Kirsten Keefe (Chatfield, Minn.) scored seven of her nine points in the game's final four minutes, as the Cardinals scored the game's final 11 points — erasing a one-point, 49-48 Carleton lead and leading Saint Mary's to a 59-49 win, and a sweep of the teams' two conference meetings this season | Recap
 
Up Next:
• Saint Mary's: The Cardinals are back on their home floor at the Saint Mary's Gym on Saturday, entertaining Macalester in a 1 p.m. conference matchup.
• Carleton: The Knights hit the road again on Saturday, traveling to Hamline's Hutton Arena for a 1 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 three straight home games for the Cardinals, who have also played three of their last four contests at the Saint Mary's Gym. … Brooklyn Paulson (Holmen, Wis.) scored a game- and career-high 23 points in the Cardinals' 73-62 loss to Augsburg last Saturday. … Paulson has now recorded three games of 20 or more points this season — having also scored 20 points against both Carleton on Dec. 1 and St. Scholastica on Nov. 20. … Paulson knocked down a single-game career-high seven 3-pointers en route to her 23-point showing against the Auggies last Saturday. Paulson's seven 3-pointers were one shy of the school record, set by Ashley Luehmann on Jan. 22, 2005. … Brandi Blattner (Eyota, Minn.) also scored in double figures against the Auggies last Saturday, netting 18 points, while also adding a team-leading 13 rebounds en route to her third double-double of the season — and 33^rd of her collegiate career. … Blattner has recorded 10 or more rebounds in back-to-back games and four times this season. … Rachel Kedl (Lamberton, Minn.) delivered her team-leading fourth double-double of the season against Hamline last Wednesday, scoring 11 points and adding 11 rebounds. … Robertson recorded her first collegiate double-double against Carleton on Dec. 1, scoring a career-best 19 points and added a career-high 11 rebounds. … Kedl hauled in a career-high 12 rebounds against Bethany Lutheran on Nov. 24. … 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), 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). … 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 Wednesday's conference showdown against Carleton leading the team in scoring, averaging 13.1 ppg. Paulson is also averaging in double figures (12.7 ppg), followed by Kedl (8.1 ppg) and Robertson (6.8 ppg). … Kedl is the team's rebounding leader with 87 (7.3 rpg), while Blattner (60, 8.8 rpg), Kirsten Keefe (Chatfield, Minn. / 56, 4.7 rpg), Remer (55, 5.0 rpg), and Robertson (49, 3.9 rpg) have also recorded 40 or more boards this season. … Saint Mary's has three players with 20 or more assists — Keefe (47), Hallie Schmeling (Onalaska, Wis. / 37), and Patterson (36). … Keefe also leads the team in steals with 14, three more than Patterson and Kedl. … Saint Mary's is shooting 40.6 percent from the field (318-for-784), while knocking down 148 of 226 free throws (65.5 percent). … The Cardinals have drained 77 3-pointers, led by Paulson with 36. … The Cardinals drained a season-high nine 3-pointers against Augsburg last Saturday. Saint Mary's has now hit seven or more 3-pointers in a game five times this season. … As a team, the Cardinals are averaging 66.2 ppg, while allowing points at a 62.8 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. … The Cardinals have held their opponents to 57 points or less in four of their last seven games. … Saint Benedict's 51 points on Dec. 12 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 Carleton Knights:
2018-19 Roster | 2018-19 Schedule | 2018-19 Statistics
• Wednesday's game against Saint Mary's is the first of back-to-back road games for the Knights, who have played their last three contests on their home floor. … Last Saturday's 73-43 loss to Gustavus pushed Carleton's season-high losing streak to nine straight. The Knights have not won since Nov. 24, when they beat California Institute of Technology 70-63. … Annabella Jensen was the only Knight to score in double figures against Gustavus last Saturday, finishing with 10 points. Jensen also delivered a team-high nine rebounds to fall one board short of a double-double. … The Knights have had a different player led them in scoring in three of their last four games. …  Cece Leone heads into Wednesday's showdown against Saint Mary's averaging a team-high 11.2 ppg, followed by Samantha Cooke (9.4 ppg), Jensen (9.2 ppg), Anna Hughes (8.6 ppg), and Nia Harris (8.6 ppg). … Leone and Hughes have each put together games of 20 or more points — Hughes netted 22 points against UW-Eau Claire on Dec. 12, while Leone poured in a season-high 28 against the University of Dubuque on Nov. 20. … Leone is also the team's rebounding leader with 90 (6.9 rpg), while Jensen (84, 6.5 rpg), Jill Yanai (63, 4.8 rpg), and Cooke (53, 4.8 rpg) have also hauled down 50 or more boards through 13 games. … Yanai has dished out a team-best 38 assists, five more than Maris Daleo, while Daleo is the team's steals leader with 16. … Jensen (14) and Hughes (12) have accounted for 26 of the team's 50 blocked shots. … The Knights are shooting 34.5 percent from the field (274-for-795) and have knocked down 153 of 237 free throws (64.6 percent). … Carleton has hit 60 3-pointers, led by Hughes with 29 and Yanai with 10. … As a team, Carleton is averaging 58.5 ppg, while the Knights' opponents are scoring at a 71.8 ppg clip. … The Knights have scored 70 or more points in three times, including a season-high 98 points in beating the University of Dubuque 98-93 on Nov. 20. … The Knights' 98 points against the University of Dubuque were a single-game program record, breaking the old mark of 92 — originally set in a 92-71 home win over Augsburg on Feb. 14, 1990 and later matched in a 92-65 triumph at Concordia on Dec. 14, 2002. The 191 points the Knights and Spartans combined to score also established a new Carleton record.