By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
WHEATON, Ill. — The Saint Mary's University men's basketball team closes out the 2019 portion of its schedule on Tuesday, taking part in the consolation game of the Wheaton Holiday Tournament. The Cardinals — who fell to host Wheaton 77-67 on Monday — will face University of Dubuque at 2 p.m. at King Arena.
 
The Matchups:
Monday, December 30, 2019 * Wheaton, Ill.
• Hanover Panthers 65, University of Dubuque Spartans 57 | Recap
• Wheaton Thunder 77, Saint Mary's Cardinals 67 | Recap
Tuesday, December 31, 2019 * Wheaton, Ill.
• U. of Dubuque Spartans (7-3 Overall) vs. Saint Mary's Cardinals (6-2 Overall), 2 p.m.
• Hanover Panthers (7-2 Overall) vs. Wheaton Thunder (9-2 Overall), 4 p.m.
 
GameDay Live On The Web:
• Live Stats * Live Video
 
Last Action:
• Saint Mary's/Wheaton — December 30, 2019 * King Arena * Wheaton, Ill.: The Cardinals struggled from the field in the first half — hitting just one of their first 18 field goal attempts — and could not recover in falling to host Wheaton 77-67 | Recap
• Hanover/University of Dubuque — December 30, 2019 * King Arena * Wheaton, Ill.: Hanover got 16 points from both Isaac Hibbard and Kevin Williams, and the Panthers outscored the University of Dubuque 32-21 in the second half, as Hanover rolled to a 65-57 win over the Spartans in the opening game of the Wheaton Holiday Tournament | Recap
 
Saint Mary's vs. Wheaton — Their Last Meeting:
• Monday's matchup between the Cardinals and Thunder was the first in program history between the two schools.
 
Saint Mary's vs. University of Dubuque — Their Last Meeting:
• November 15, 2009 * Saint Mary's Gym * Winona, Minn.: The Cardinals had five players score in double figures — led by Lukas Holland's (La Crosse, Wis.) game-high 25 points — as Saint Mary's kicked off its 2009-2010 season with a 73-62 nonconference win over the University of Dubuque | Recap
 
Up Next:
• Saint Mary's: The Cardinals return to Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play on Saturday, heading to Bethel's Robertson Center Gym in Arden Hills, Minn., for a 1 p.m. matchup with the Royals.
• Wheaton: The Thunder are back in action on Saturday, traveling to Naperville, Ill, for a 7 p.m. CCIW showdown with North Central.
• University of Dubuque: The Spartans get back into American Rivers Conference action on Saturday, heading to Waverly, Iowa, for a 4 p.m. contest against Wartburg.
• Hanover: The Panthers are back in Heartland Collegiate Conference play on Saturday, traveling to Terre Haute, Ind., for a 3 p.m. showdown with Rose-Hulman.
 
Scouting The Saint Mary's Cardinals:
2019-20 Roster | 2019-20 Schedule | 2019-20 Statistics
• The Cardinals' games at the Wheaton Holiday Tournament are two of three straight road contests for Saint Mary's, which has played five of its first seven games this season on their home court. … With their 93-61 over Martin Luther on Dec. 19, the Cardinals pushed their winning streak to four straight. … Saint Mary's heads into its tournament-opener against Wheaton boasting a 6-1 record — the Cardinals' best start since 2010-11, when they opened the year 8-1. … Sawyer Rosner (Phelps, Wis.) and James Connolly (Round Lake Park, Ill.) both scored 11 points to pace the Cardinals in their 93-61 win over Martin Luther on Dec. 19. Eli Cave (St. Paul, Minn.) also scored in double figures vs. the Knights, finishing with 10 points. … Saint Mary's got scoring from 15 different players in its 93-61 win over Martin Luther on Dec. 19. … The Cardinals' win over Martin Luther on Dec. 19 marked the first time this season that Cave has not led the team in scoring … Connolly's 11 points against Martin Luther on Dec. 19 were a career-high. He is the third Cardinal this season to post a single-game career-high of 10 or more points — joining Raheem Anthony and Greg Martin (Oklahoma City, Okla.), who netted a career-highs of 26 and 13 points against Luther on Nov. 30. … Anthony — who, along with his career-high 26 points, posted a career-best 11 rebounds in recording his first collegiate double-double against Luther on Nov. 30 — owns both of the Cardinals' double-doubles this season. … Cave scored a game-high 27 points, while Anthony chipped in 26 against Luther on Nov. 30 — marking the first time this season the Cardinals have had two players with 20 or more points in the same game. Saint Mary's achieved that feat three times a year ago. … Cave has eclipsed the 20-point barrier four times this season and 14 times in his collegiate career. … Greg Martin (Oklahoma City, Okla.) scored a career-high 13 points against Luther on Nov. 30. … Cave enters the Wheaton Holiday Tournament leading the team in scoring, averaging 19.9 ppg — third in the MIAC. … Anthony (10.9 ppg) is also averaging in double figures, followed by Kareem Anthony-Bello (Chicago, Ill. / 9.6 ppg) and Kevin Gleason (Minneapolis, Minn. / 8.7 ppg). … Anthony, who has recorded 10 or more rebounds three times this season, leads the team with 51 rebounds (7.3 rpg). … Cave is the team-leader with 20 assists and 10 blocks, while Anthony-Bellow owns a team-leading 17 steals. … Saint Mary's, which drained a single-season school record 233 3-pointers last season — including a single-game school-record 14 against Gustavus on Dec. 5 — has knocked down 10 or more 3-points in a game four times this season, including a season-high 11 against Crown on Nov. 15. … Cave owns a team-best 19 3-pointers, followed by Gleason (17) and Anthony-Bello (10). … As a team, Saint Mary's is 198-for-425 (.466) from the field — including 63-for-163 (.387) from behind the arc — and is 92-for-134 (.687) from the free throw line. … Saint Mary's went 25-for-30 from the free throw line against Martin Luther on Dec. 19 — both season highs. … The Cardinals put five players in double figures in their 103-97 overtime win over Luther on Nov. 30. It was the second time in six games this season that Saint Mary's has had five players score 10 or more points in the same game. … The Cardinals' 103-point effort in beating Luther 103-97 on Nov. 30 was their highest single-game offensive output since pouring in 106 points in a 111-106 overtime loss to Augsburg on Jan. 11, 2017. … The Cardinals have scored 80 or more points in a game nine times in the last two seasons. … The Cardinals' 77-63 loss to No. 14 Saint John's on Nov. 26 snapped their season-opening two-game winning streak. … With its 80-74 win over St. Olaf on Nov. 23, Saint Mary's snapped a 12-game losing streak against the Oles. It was the Cardinals' first win over St. Olaf since Jan. 16, 2013, when Saint Mary's posted a 66-57 victory. … With their 68-52 win over Crown Nov. 15, the Cardinals have now beaten Crown in their season-opener in back-to-back years — Saint Mary's season-opening win over Crown a year ago was the first collegiate coaching victory for Joe Fano. … Thanks to its 68-52 win over Crown on Nov. 15, Saint Mary's is now 6-0 in its last six season-openers.
 
Scouting The Wheaton Thunder:
2019-20 Roster | 2019-20 Schedule | 2019-20 Statistics
• The Thunder enter tournament play this weekend boasting an 8-2 record — including a perfect 3-0 mark in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW). … With their win over North Park on Dec. 14, the Thunder extended their winning streak to four straight. Wheaton has now won six of its last eight games, after opening the season 2-1. … Luke Anthony scored a game-high 21 points in the Thunder's most recent win, an 84-50 victory over North Park on Dec. 14. Anthony missed the first eight games of the season — he was the starting quarterback of the Wheaton football team, which lost to Saint John's in the NCAA quarterfinals on Dec. 7. … Wheaton heads into Monday's game against Saint Mary's boasting five players who are averaging in double figures in scoring ­— Nyameye Adom (18.9 ppg), Tyson Cruickshank (15.8 ppg), Anajuwon Spencer (10.7 ppg), Cade Alioth (10.4 ppg), and Anthony (10.5 ppg). … Adom has led the team in scoring in six of its 10 games — and has scored 20 or more points four times. … Adom netted a season-high 25 points against the University of Chicago on Nov. 26, while adding 24-point efforts against Olivet and Principia, and a 20-point showing against Calvin. …  Alioth is the team's rebounding leader with 87 boards (8.7 rpg), followed by Cruickshank (49, 4.9 rpg), Spencer (48, 5.3 rpg), and Adom (43, 4.3 rpg). … Cruickshank has dished out a team=leading 35 assists, one more than Adom, while Alioth and Collin Uveges share the team lead with 13 steals each. … Spencer (17) and Alioth (13) have accounted for 30 of the Thunder's 43 blocked shots. … Wheaton is shooting 48.7 percent from the field (288-for-591) and is 141-for-184 (76.6 %) from the free throw line. … The Thunder have knocked down 89 3-pointers through 10 games, led by Cruickshank (25), Spencer (19), Gavin Hawkins (16), and Adom (10). … Wheaton is averaging 80.6 ppg, while limiting its opponents to a 63.8 ppg scoring average. … The Thunder have scored 80 or more points six times, including a season-high 90-point effort in beating Principia 90-71 in its season-opener on Nov. 15.
 
Scouting The University of Dubuque Spartans:
2019-20 Roster | 2019-20 Schedule | 2019-20 Statistics
• The Spartans head into the Wheaton Tournament having won seven of their first nine games this season. … Dubuque opened the season with five straight wins, before dropping a 88-63 decision to nationally ranked Nebraska Wesleyan. The Spartans' other loss was an 87-69 setback to Northwestern (Minn.) in their most recent outing on Dec. 21. … Dubuque's two games are the Wheaton Tournament are the third and fourth of five straight road games. The Spartans are 4-1 on their home court this season, while going 3-1 on the road. … Dubuque boasts three players who are averaging in double figures in scoring — Mitch Burger (17.2 ppg), Peter Rogen (14.7 ppg), and Avery Butler (12.3 ppg). … Dubuque has had a player score 20 or more points four times this season — including two games of 30 or more points. Burger tossed in 33 points against Millikin on Nov. 30, while adding a season-high 35-point performance against UW-Stout on Dec. 20. … Butler has hauled in a team-leading 82 rebounds through nine games, while Rogen is second with 52. … Burger has dished out a team-best 40 assists, while also leading the team in steals with 13. … Butler has accounted for 20 of the team's 28 blocked shots this season. … As a team, Dubuque is shooting 45.7 percent from the field (265-for-580) and has knocked down 152 of 213 free throws (71.4%). … The Spartans have drained 100 3-pointers this season, led by Burger with 22. Cade Daugherty (11), Rogen (10), and Carter Stevens (10) have also netted 10 or more treys this season. … The Spartans are averaging 86.9 ppg and have eclipsed the 100-point mark three times this season — beating Millikin 100-85 on Nov. 30, while netting a season-high 112 points in wins over Finlandia (112-73) and Iowa Wesleyan (112-84) on Nov. 9 and Nov. 12, respectively.
 
Scouting The Hanover Panthers:
2019-20 Roster | 2019-20 Schedule | 2019-20 Statistics
• After opening the season with six straight wins, the Panthers head into tournament action in the midst of a two-game losing streak. … Hanover's two games during the Wheaton Tournament are the third and fourth of six straight road games for the Panthers, who are 3-2 on the road this season. … Hanover boasts two players — Isaac Hibbard (13.3 ppg) and Mark Albers (10.5 ppg) — who are averaging in double figures in scoring, with Kevin Williams (9.9 ppg) close behind. … Along with his team-leading 13.3 ppg scoring average, Hibbard also leads the team in rebounds with 43 (5.4 rpg) and assists with 46. … Williams is second to Hibbard with 42 rebounds (5.3 rpg), while Logan Ratts is first in steals (13) and second in assists (39). … The Panthers are shooting 46.7 percent from the field (227-for-486) and are 78-for-124 (62.9%) from the free throw line. … Hanover has knocked down 63 3-pointers through eight games, led by Blake Robertson with 14, and Albers and Carlos Garcia with 10 each. … The Panthers, who are averaging 74.4 ppg, have scored 90 or more points twice this season — beating Westminster (Mo.) 91-57 on Nov. 22, while scoring a season-high 115 points in dropping Boyce 115-53 on Nov. 19.