By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
WINONA, Minn. — Here's quick-hit, by-the-numbers preview of the 2019-20 Saint Mary's University women's basketball team.
 
Head coach:
• David Foley (2nd season)
 
A Year Ago:
• 9-9 MIAC (6th) | 13-13 Overall
 
In The Postseason:
• MIAC Playoffs: at #3 Bethel (L, 66-52).
 
Returners To Watch:
• Brooklyn Paulson (Sophomore * Guard | 26 GP, 11.2 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 64 3-pointers, 26 assists, 23 steals | 2018-19 Co-MIAC Rookie of the Year, MIAC All-First Year Team, H-M All-MIAC. … Only player to start all 26 games last season. … Led team with 64 3-pointers. … Scored career-high 23 points vs. Augsburg on Jan. 5 — one of three games with more than 20 points). 
• Rachel Kedl (Junior, Forward | 23 GP, 5.8 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 17 assists, 19 blocks, 20 steals | Posted career highs in rebounds (143), blocks (19), and steals (20) in 2018-19. … Second on team with four double-doubles last season — the first four of her collegiate career. … Scored a career-high 16 points and added career-best 12 rebounds against Bethany Lutheran on Nov. 24, 2018).
• Claire Patterson (Junior * Guard | 25 GP, 6.1 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 16 3-pointers, 63 assists, 20 steals | Posted career-highs in points (153), rebounds (57), assists (63), and steals (20) in 2018-19. … Finished third on the team in 3-pointers with 16 a year ago. … Scored a career-high 13 points against St. Catherine on Jan. 31, 2018).
 
By The Numbers:
• 1: The Cardinals picked up their first win under head coach David Foley with their 87-76 triumph over Nebraska Wesleyan on Nov. 17.
• 2: The Cardinals got a pair of double-doubles in their 66-60 win over Saint Benedict on Jan. 23. The double, double-double marked 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.
 • 3: Brooklyn Paulson (Holmen, Wis.) scored 20 or more points in a game three times — including a career-high 23-point effort against Augsburg on Jan. 5. Paulson knocked down a single-game career-best seven 3-pointers en route to her 23-point showing.
• 5: Brandi Blattner (Eyota, Minn.) and Brooklyn Paulson (Holmen, Wis.) combined to collect five MIAC post-season honors last season. Blattner earned her fourth straight All-MIAC First-Team selection and second consecutive MIAC All-Defensive Team honor, while Paulson was named MIAC Co-Rookie of the Year, and was named to the MIAC All-First-Year Team, while also landing honorable-mention All-MIAC honors.
• 7: The Cardinals made their seventh MIAC Tournament appearance in the last eight years, falling to Bethel 66-52 in the quarterfinals.
• 12: The Cardinals closed out 2018-19 with 12 double-doubles — including the first four of Rachel Kedl's (Lamberton, Minn.) collegiate career, while Maggie Robertson (Orland Park, Ill.) also posted her first double-double in a Cardinal uniform.
 
Did You Know, Part I?:
• Saint Mary's boasted eight players who recorded a single-game career-high of 10 or more points this season — Brooklyn Paulson (Holmen, Wis. / 23), Maggie Robertson (Orland Park, Ill. / 19), Rachel Kedl (Lamberton, Minn. / 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).
 
Did You Know, Part II?:
• Hallie Schmeling (Onalaska, Wis.) finished with 10 points — without making a field goal — in the Cardinals' win over St. Catherine on Feb. 13. The sophomore was a perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw line.
 
Did You Know, Part III?:
• Saint Mary's and St. Thomas combined to attempt just one free throw in the first half of their Feb. 16 game. The two teams finished a combined to go 11-for-12 for the game from the line.
 
This and That:
• Brandi Blattner (Eyota, Minn.) closed out her senior season leading the Cardinals in scoring in each of their last six games a year ago — and 11 times overall. Blattner was one of six Cardinals to have led the team in scoring last season. … With her 18-point effort in the Cardinals' MIAC Tournament loss to Bethel, Blattner closed out her collegiate career ranked No. 3 all-time in scoring with 1,495 points and third in career rebounds with 922. Blattner is just the third player in program history to have at least 1,000 career points and 900 career rebounds. … Blattner closed out the year leading the team in scoring, averaging 15.6 ppg. Brooklyn Paulson (Holmen, Wis.) also averaged in double figures (11.2 ppg) last season, followed by Claire Patterson (Marine, Minn. / 6.1 ppg) and Rachel Kedl (Lamberton, Minn. / 5.8 ppg). … 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. … Kedl (12) and Robertson (11) recorded single-game career-highs of 10 or more rebounds a year ago. … Saint Mary's put a season-high four players in double figures in a game four times last year. … Along with her team-best 15.6 ppg scoring average, Blattner also led the team in rebounds with 173 (8.7 rpg), while Kedl also hauled in 100 or more rebounds last season (143, 6.2 rpg). … Saint Mary's had three players with 40 or more assists — Kirsten Keefe (Chatfield, Minn. / 78), Patterson (63), and Hallie Schmeling (Onalaska, Wis. / 63). … Keefe also led the team in steals with 32. … Saint Mary's shot 39.0 percent from the field (590-for-1514), while knocking down 318 of 449 free throws (70.8 percent). … The Cardinals drained 149 3-pointers, led by Paulson with 64. … The Cardinals recorded a season-high 10 3-pointers against St. Olaf on Jan. 31 — including five from Paulson. Saint Mary's hit seven or more 3-pointers in a game nine times last season. … As a team, the Cardinals averaged 63.3 ppg, while allowing points at a 64.3 ppg clip. … Saint Mary's hauled in a season-high 56 rebounds against Carleton in the teams' first meeting on Dec. 1. … The Cardinals scored 70 or more points eight times last 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 last 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 last season. … 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.