By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
ST. PAUL, Minn. — It's almost as if the Saint Mary's University women's basketball team can't catch a break this season.
 
Looking to put an end to their lengthy losing streak, the Cardinals put together one of their most complete games to date — but couldn't come away with a win to show for their efforts.
 
Hamline's Lydia Lecher knocked down two free throws with eight seconds remaining in overtime, lifting the Pipers to an 87-85 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference win over the Cardinals at Hutton Arena.
 
The Cardinals led for the majority of the afternoon — grabbing their biggest lead of the game, 33-19 four minutes into the second quarter — and took a 39-34 lead at the break.
 
It was more of the same in the second half, as Saint Mary's again tried to run away from the Pipers, pushing its lead to as many as 11, only to have Hamline trim the Saint Mary's lead to four, 58-54, heading into the fourth quarter.
 
Saint Mary's owned a 67-58 lead with 5:34 to play, but again the Pipers had an answer, rattling off 17 of the next 22 points to take a 75-72 lead with 58 seconds to play in regulation.
 
Shayley Vesel (Austin, Minn.) was fouled attempting a 3-pointer with one second on the clock, and the sophomore knocked down all three to send the game into overtime.
 
And in the extra period, the Cardinals were again clutch at the free throw line. In fact, you could say it was déjà vu, as Brooklyn Paulson (Holmen, Wis.) calmly drained three free throws with 24 seconds remaining to pull the Cardinals even, 85-85.
 
This time, however, Hamline proved to have more than enough time on the clock. On the Pipers' ensuing possession, the Cardinals were called for a foul with eight second on the clock and Lecher knocked down both free throws to seal the Hamline win.
 
Saint Mary's boasted a pair of 20-point scorers, as Paulson delivered a career-best 26-point effort, while  Vesel finished with 23. Hamline also had two players eclipse the 20-point barrier in Lecher (24) and Reilly Geistfeld (23).
 
The Cardinals (1-6 MIAC, 1-11 overall) finally return home after six straight road games on Wednesday, playing host to Saint Benedict in a 7 p.m. conference matchup at the Saint Mary's Gym. The Pipers (5-3 MIAC, 10-3 overall), meanwhile, are back on their home court at Hutton Arena on Wednesday, entertaining Macalester in a 7 p.m. MIAC contest.