By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Having dropped three straight — leaving their Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference post-season hopes dangling by a thread — the Saint Mary's University of Minnesota women's basketball team were in dire need of a pick-me-up.
 
And through the first two quarters, it appeared as if Macalester would be just what the doctor ordered.
 
Unfortunately for the Cardinals, that prescription only lasted through 20 minutes of play, as Macalester erupted for 49 second-half points — outscoring the Cardinals 49-23 — to rally from a 17-point halftime deficit and deal Saint Mary's a 66-57 conference setback at Leonard Center.
 
The Cardinals — behind an unstoppable performance from Brandi Blattner (Eyota, Minn.) — had everything going their way in the first half en route to a 17-point halftime advantage.
 
How good was Blattner in her second-to-last regular-season game? The Cardinal senior scored more points in the first half (18) than the Scots (17), eclipsed the 20-point barrier for the second straight contest — and fourth time this season — and her sixth double-double of the year early in the third quarter.
 
Blattner scored the Cardinals' first six points — and 10 of their 16 first-quarter points — as Saint Mary's grabbed a 16-8 lead after the game's opening 10 minutes. And it was more of the same in quarter No. 2, as Blattner poured in eight more points — and Saint Mary's held Macalester to just one point over the final 3:39 of the second quarter — to give the Cardinals a commanding 34-17 advantage at the half.
 
As dominating as the Cardinals were through those first two quarters, it was the Scots who controlled the last 20 minutes.
 
Macalester whittled the Cardinals' halftime lead to seven on two separate occasions, including 46-39 on a Celine Sabbagh 3-pointer to end the third quarter. And Sabbagh's bomb proved to be just a taste of things to come, as the Scots — who outscored Saint Mary's 22-12 in the third quarter — erupted for 27 points over the game's final 10 minutes.
 
The Scots grabbed their first lead of the game, 52-51, with 5:51 to play in regulation on a Katherine Podoll field goal. Saint Mary's regained the lead 53-52 on a Claire Patterson (Marine, Minn.) layup, but that would be the last time the Cardinals would lead, as Macalester outscored Saint Mary's 14-4 over the final four minutes to seal the upset victory.
 
Blattner finished with a game-high 25 points on 9 of 16 shooting and a 6-for-9 effort from the free throw line. The senior also added 15 rebounds — including 10 on the defensive end — en route to her sixth double-double of the season and 36^th of her career. Paulson chipped in nine points for the Cardinals, who shot 38.5 from the field (20-for-52), but were 7 of 21 from behind the arc, and added a 10-for-15 showing from the foul line.
 
Podoll netted 18 points to lead three Scots who scored in double figures. She was joined by Justine Barraza (15) and Tyana Loiselle (15). Macalester finished 26-for-58 from the field — including hitting on 19 of 34 field goal attempts in the second half. The Scots also went 7-for-21 from the 3-point line and was 7 of 12 from the free throw line.
 
After three straight road games, the Cardinals (8-8 MIAC, 12-10 overall) return home on Wednesday, hosting St. Catherine in a 7 p.m. conference matchup. It's the first of back-to-back home contests to close out the season for Saint Mary's, which will entertain nationally ranked and league-leading St. Thomas in the teams' regular-season finale on Saturday.