By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University of Minnesota women's basketball team is back in conference play on Saturday, as the Cardinals travel to Macalester's Leonard Center for a 1 p.m. matchup against the Scots.
 
The Matchup:
• Saint Mary's Cardinals (8-7 MIAC, 12-10 Overall) at Macalester Scots (3-12 MIAC, 5-17 Overall)
 
GameDay Live On The Web:
• Live Stats * Live Video
 
Last Action:
• Saint Mary's—February 6, 2019 * Arden Hills, Minn.: Brandi Blattner (Eyota, Minn.) scored a team-high 21 points, but Bethel outscored the Cardinals 40-28 in the middle two quarters in handing Saint Mary's an 86-68 MIAC setback at Robertson Center Gym | Recap
• Macalester—February 6, 2019 * St. Paul, Minn.: Justine Barraza scored a career-high 23 points in leading the Scots to an 86-78 conference win over Carleton at Leonard Center | Recap
 
Saint Mary's vs. Macalester — Earlier This Year:
• January 12, 2019 * Winona, Minn.: The Cardinals, who trailed by 10 early in the first quarter, scored nearly as many points in the second quarter (27) as the Scots had in the first half (28) and never relinquished the lead, holding off a late Macalester run to post a 65-56 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference victory at the Saint Mary's Gym | Recap
 
Saint Mary's vs. Macalester — A Year Ago:
• January 13, 2018 * Winona, Minn.: The Cardinals scored 10 of the game's first 15 points — and erupted for 24 more in the second quarter alone — as Saint Mary's cruised to a 73-45 conference win over the Scots at the Saint Mary's Gym | Recap
• February 10, 2018 * St. Paul, Minn.: Saint Mary's, clinging to one-point leads at the half, and after three quarters, outscored Macalester 25-14 in the decisive fourth quarter in locking up its sixth MIAC Playoff berth in the last seven seasons with a 69-57 win over Macalester at Leonard Center | Recap
   
Up Next:
• Saint Mary's: After three straight road games, the Cardinals return home on Wednesday, hosting St. Catherine in a 7 p.m. conference matchup.
• Macalester: The Scots hit the road on Wednesday, traveling to Augsburg's Si Melby Hall in Minneapolis, Minn., for a 7 p.m. MIAC showdown against the Auggies.
 
Scouting The Saint Mary's Cardinals: 
2018-19 Roster | 2018-19 Schedule | 2018-19 Statistics
• Saturday's game against Macalester is the third straight road games for the Cardinals, who close out their regular-season schedule with back-to-back home games against St. Catherine (Wednesday) and league-leading St. Thomas (Saturday). … The Cardinals head into Saturday's conference showdown against Macalester clinging to the sixth and final MIAC Playoff spot, one game behind Gustavus and Saint Benedict and one game in front of St. Catherine with three conference games to play. … For the second game in a row, Brandi Blattner (Eyota, Minn.) was the lone Cardinal in double figures against Bethel Wednesday, tossing in 21 points. … Blattner has now led and shared the team lead in scoring a team-high eight times. … Blattner is one of six Cardinals to have led the team in scoring this season. … Blattner's 21-point performance against Bethel Wednesday marked the sixth time this season the Cardinals have had a player score 20 or more points. Along with her 21 points against Bethel, Blattner has netted 22 points in a game twice, while Brooklyn Paulson (Holmen, Wis.) has put together games of 20, 20, and 23 points. … 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. … Blattner has scored 20 or more points 24 times in her four-year collegiate career — including a career-best 30 points against Augsburg on Jan. 27, 2018. … The Cardinals got a pair of double-doubles in their 66-60 win over Saint Benedict on Jan. 23 — Blattner delivered a 22-point, 13-rebound effort, while Abby Winter (Winona, Minn.) chipped in 15 points and a game- and career-high 16 rebounds. … The double, double-double marks 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. … Blattner leads the team with five double-doubles, giving the senior 35 for her Cardinal career. Rachel Kedl (Lamberton, Minn.) is second to Blattner with four double-doubles. Winter's 15-point, 16-rebound effort against Saint Benedict on Jan. 23 was her first collegiate double-double, while Maggie Robertson (Orland Park, Ill.) also owns a double-double this season, scoring 19 points and adding 11 rebounds against Carleton on Dec. 1 … Winter's 16 rebounds against Saint Benedict on Jan. 23 were a career-high. Kedl (12) and Robertson (11) have also recorded single-game career-highs of 10 or more rebounds. … Saint Mary's boasts eight players who have recorded a single-game career-high of 10 or more points this 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 has put four players in double figures in a game four times this year. … Blattner heads into Saturday's conference showdown with Macalester leading the team in scoring, averaging 14.6 ppg. Paulson is also averaging in double figures (11.6 ppg), followed by Kedl (6.4 ppg), Claire Patterson (Marine, Minn. / 6.4 ppg), and Winter (6.2 ppg). … Blattner also leads the team in rebounds with 132 (8.3 rpg), while Kedl has also hauled in 100 or more rebounds this season (127, 6.4 rpg). … Saint Mary's has three players with 40 or more assists — Kirsten Keefe (Chatfield, Minn. / 70), Patterson (56), and Hallie Schmeling (Onalaska, Wis. / 53). … Keefe also leads the team in steals with 28. … Saint Mary's is shooting 39.1 percent from the field (513-for-1311), while knocking down 259 of 373 free throws (69.4 percent). … The Cardinals have drained 127 3-pointers, led by Paulson with 57. … The Cardinals recorded a season-high 10 3-pointers against St. Olaf on Jan. 31 — including five from Paulson. Saint Mary's has now hit seven or more 3-pointers in a game seven times this season. … As a team, the Cardinals are averaging 64.2 ppg, while allowing points at a 64.0 ppg clip. … Saint Mary's hauled in a season-high 56 rebounds against Carleton in the teams' first meeting on Dec. 1. … The Cardinals have scored 70 or more points seven times this 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 this 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. … 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. … The Cardinals — picked sixth in the MIAC Preseason Coaches' Poll — made their sixth MIAC Playoff appearance in the last seven years last season.
 
Scouting The Macalester Scots:
2018-19 Roster | 2018-19 Schedule | 2018-19 Statistics
• Saturday's game against Saint Mary's is the final home game of the season for the Scots, who play at Augsburg (Wednesday) and at St. Catherine (Saturday) to close out the season. … Three of Macalester's five wins have come on their home court (3-8). The Scots are 2-9 away from Leonard Center. … Macalester snapped its four-game losing streak with Wednesday's 86-78 win over Carleton. … Eight of the Scots' 15 losses this season have been by 10 points or less. … Justine Barraza scored a career-high 23 points in the Scots' win over Carleton on Wednesday. Barraza was one of two Macalester players to finish in double figures against the Knights, being joined by Katherine Podoll, who finished with 14 points. … Ten of the 11 Scots who played against Carleton Wednesday scored at least two points. … Barraza enters Saturday's game against Saint Mary's leading the team in scoring, averaging 13.1 ppg. Podoll is second, averaging 9.5 ppg, followed by Holly Hull (8.0 ppg) and Tyana Loiselle (6.6 ppg). … Macalester boasts two players — Hull (115, 5.2 rpg) and Podoll (105, 4.8 ppg) — who have hauled in 100 or more rebounds through 22 games. … Loiselle is the team's assist leader with 56, while Katie Sowerby (37), Barraza (35), and Hull (31) have also dished out 30 or more helpers this season. … Loiselle has picked up a team-best 30 steals, with Kayla Toegari (19) and Podoll leading the team in blocked shots. … Macalester is shooting 35.3 percent from the field (470-for-1331) and have drained 226 of 340 free throws (66.5 percent). … The Scots have hit 126 3-pointers, with Barraza accounting for 59 of them. … As a team, the Scots are averaging 58.7 ppg, while their opponents are scoring at a 68.0 ppg clip. … Macalester's 86-point effort against Carleton in Wednesday's 86-78 win was a season high. On the flip side, the Scots have surrendered 80 or more points three times — including a combined 203 in losses to Bethel (104-59) and St. Thomas (99-51) in a five-day span between Jan. 26 and Jan. 31.