By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
ST. PAUL, Minn. — For first-year head coaches Joe Fano of Saint Mary's University and Abe Woldelassie of Macalester, it's become abundantly clear that premature graying must come with the job description.
 
After all, Fano's Cardinal men's basketball team entered Saturday's showdown with the Scots having had 14 of their 23 games decided by 10 points or less, including three of their last four decided by five or fewer points — a five-point 90-85 overtime loss to St. Olaf on Jan. 31, a three-point, 68-65 loss to Hamline on Monday and a five-point, 88-83 setback vs. Bethel on Wednesday.
 
Woldelassie's Scots, meanwhile, headed into Saturday's matchup against Saint Mary's having won two straight — by a combined eight points. Macalester beat Concordia 68-63 in overtime on Monday, before edging Carleton 60-57 two days later.
 
Add to that the fact that the Scots edged the Cardinals 75-74 on a Wyatt Ferm jumper with 0.7 seconds remaining in the teams' first meeting on Jan. 12, and it would come as no surprise to anyone in attendance at Leonard Center that Saturday's rematch would end in a nailbiter.
 
Eli Cave, however, had other ideas.
 
The sophomore wasn't about to see another game go right down to the wire, putting the Cardinal offense on his back — scoring a career-high 36 points — as he ignited a 46-point second-half outburst in leading the Cardinals to an 86-69 conference win over the Scots at Leonard Center.
 
Cave was a one-man wrecking crew the entire 40 minutes, scoring 21 points in the first half and adding 15 more in the second en route to his career-high 36-point effort — the highest single-game total since Chris Palmer scored 37 against Bethel on Dec. 6, 2010.
 
It wasn't just the feathery touch inside for the Cardinal big man, either, as Cave drained five 3-pointers in going 11-for-20 from the field, while also adding a 9-for-11 showing from the free throw line. And the cherry on top … Cave also hauled in 12 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season.
 
The Cardinals appeared to be in control early, building leads as big as eight, but the Scots came roaring back, breaking away from a 22-22 deadlock by closing the half on a 20-17 run to take a three-point, 43-40 lead into the locker room at the break.
 
Macalester scored five of the first six points to open the second half and build a seven-point, 48-41 cushion, but Cave and Co. came storming back, using a 9-1 run to regain the lead, 50-49 on a Caden Freetly (Farmington, Minn.) field goal.
 
Trailing 55-54 midway through the second half, the Cardinals took charge, pouring in nine unanswered points for a 63-55 lead — and Saint Mary's never looked back, pushing the lead to as many as 17 on two separate occasions, including the final 86-69.
 
Cave was one of three Cardinals to finish in double figures, as Freetly chipped in 14 points and Bradley Hill (Matteson, Ill.) added 13. Saint Mary's shot 44.8 percent from the field (26-for-58) and knocked down 11 3-pointers, while taking advantage of their trips to the free throw line — going a near-perfect 23-for-26.
 
Ferm finished with a team-high 18 points for the Scots, who had their two-game winning streak snapped with the loss.
 
The Cardinals (4-15 MIAC, 8-16 overall) are now off until next Saturday, when they close out their 2018-19 season with a home game against nationally ranked and league-leading St. Thomas. Game time at the Saint Mary's Gym is scheduled for 3 p.m.