By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University women's basketball team kicks off its 2019-20 season on Saturday, heading across town to Winona State's McCown Gymnasium for a 5 p.m. nonconference game against the NCAA Division II Warriors.
 
The Matchup:
• Saint Mary's Cardinals (2018-19: 13-13 Overall) at Winona State Warriors (2018-19: 15-13 Overall)
 
GameDay Live On The Web:
• Live Stats * Live Video
 
Last Action:
• Saint Mary's­­: Saturday's showdown against Winona State is the Cardinals' season-opener. Saint Mary's has not played since falling to Bethel 66-52 during the quarterfinals of the MIAC Tournament in Arden Hills, Minn., on Feb. 16, 2019 | Bethel Recap
• Winona State: Saturday's home matchup against Saint Mary's is the Warriors' season-opener. WSU has played a pair of exhibition games against NCAA Division I foes this season, falling to Marquette 93-47 on Oct. 26 in Marquette, Wis., and dropping a 98-53 decision to the University of Iowa 98-53 last Sunday in Iowa City, Iowa.
 
Saint Mary's vs. Winona State — Their Last Meeting:
• November 10, 2018 * McCown Gym * Winona, Minn.: Kayla Schaffer knocked down back-to-back baskets to spark a 12-0 game-opening Winona State run. And no matter how hard the Cardinals tried to climb out of that 12-point hole, they just could not quite get over the hump, as the Warriors hung on to beat Saint Mary's 81-54 in an exhibition game at McCown Gym | Recap
 
Up Next:
• Saint Mary's: The Cardinals are right back in action on Monday, heading to Oshkosh, Wis., for a 7 p.m. nonconference game against UW-Oshkosh.
• Winona State: The Warriors are back on their home court at McCown Gym on Saturday, entertaining Viterbo in a 6 p.m. nonconference game.
 
Scouting The Saint Mary's Cardinals:
2019-20 Roster | 2019-20 Schedule | 2018-19 Final Statistics
• The Cardinals enter Saturday's season-opener at Winona State on the heels of a 13-13 showing in their first year under head coach David Foley. … The Cardinals made their seventh  MIAC Tournament appearance in the last eight years, falling to Bethel 66-52 in the quarterfinals. … The Cardinals graduated three seniors off last year's 13-13 team — including four-time D3hoops.com All-Region selection Brandi Blattner (Eyota, Minn.), who 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. … Saint Mary's had a player score 20 or more points eight times last year. Blattner achieved the feat five times, while Brooklyn Paulson (Holmen, Wis.) put together games of 20, 20, and 23 points. … Blattner closed out the year leading the team in scoring, averaging 15.6 ppg. Paulson also averaged in double figures (11.2 ppg), followed by Claire Patterson (Marine, Minn. / 6.1 ppg), Kedl (5.8 ppg), and Winter (5.7 ppg). … Paulson — last season's MIAC Co-Rookie of the Year, as well as an honorable-mention All-MIAC selection — 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. … 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. … Blattner added 15 rebounds to her team- and season-high 25 points against Macalester on Feb. 9 en route to her team-leading sixth double-double of the season — and 36th for her collegiate career. … Rachel Kedl (Lamberton, Minn.) finished second to Blattner with four double-doubles, while Maggie Robertson (Orland Park, Ill.) also owned a double-double last season, scoring 19 points and adding 11 rebounds against Carleton on Dec. 1 … Kedl (12) and Robertson (11) recorded single-game career-highs of 10 or more rebounds last season. … 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. … Saint Mary's boasted eight players who recorded a single-game career-high of 10 or more points last 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 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 this season (143, 6.2 rpg). … Saint Mary's had three players with 40 or more assists a year ago — Kirsten Keefe (Chatfield, Minn. / 78), Patterson (63), and Hallie Schmeling (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). … Saint Mary's and St. Thomas combined to attempt just one free throw in the first half of their Feb. 16 game. … 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 were 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. … 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.
 
Scouting The Winona State Warriors:
2019-20 Roster | 2019-20 Schedule | 2018-19 Final Statistics
• The Warriors head into Saturday's season-opening against Saint Mary's coming off a 15-13 season a year ago — including a run to the NSIC Tournament quarterfinals. WSU opened post-season play with a 63-57 win over Minot State, but was eliminated by Minnesota State-Moorhead 72-67. … The Warriors — picked to finish fourth in the NSIC Preseason Coaches Poll — do not have a senior on their roster this season. … The Warriors closed out 2018-19 boasting three players who averaged in double figures in scoring, led by two-time All-NSIC selection Allie Pickrain, who closed out the year with a 10.8 ppg average. Emily Kieck (10.4 ppg) and Gabie Doud (10.2 ppg) also averaged in double figures last season. … Rachel Novotny hauled in a team-best 206 rebounds (7.4 rpg), while Taylor Hustad (140, 5.2 rpg) and Doud (128, 5.6 rpg) also eclipsed the 100-rebound mark. … Kieck dished out a team-leading 69 assists a year ago, while sharing the team lead in steals (25) with Pickrain and Kayla Schaefer. … As a team, the Warriors shot 41 percent from the field (652-1599) and hit on 313 of 421 free throws (.743). … Winona State drained 177 3-pointers a year ago, led by Pickrain (63), Julia Silloway (34), and Kieck (29). … The Warriors, who averaged XX.X ppg, scored 70 or more points in a game seven times, including a season-high 84-point effort in beating 84-45 on Feb. 8. … On the flip side, WSU allowed 70 or more points in a game six times, including surrendering a season-high 80 points twice — falling to Concordia-St. Paul 80-68 and UM-Duluth 80-59. … Winona State picked up eight of its 15 wins last season on its home court. The Warriors were 8-4 at McCown Gym, while going 7-9 on the road.