By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
NORTHFIELD, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University women's basketball team returns to Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play on Saturday, as the Cardinals head to St. Olaf's Skoglund Center for a 3 p.m. matchup against the Oles
 
The Matchup:
• Saint Mary's Cardinals (1-10 MIAC, 1-15 Overall) at St. Olaf Oles (4-7 MIAC, 7-9 Overall)
 
GameDay Live On The Web:
• Live Stats * Live Video
 
Last Action:
• Saint Mary's­­ — January 22, 2020 * Butler Center * St. Paul, Minn.: St. Catherine scored the first 15 points of the fourth quarter, erasing a five-point Saint Mary's advantage and leading the Wildcats to a 55-53 win over the Cardinals | Recap
• St. Olaf — January 22, 2020 * Skoglund Center * Northfield, Minn.: Augsburg put four players in double figures — and the Auggies held St. Olaf to just 20 second-half points — in dealing the Oles a 76-49 conference setback | Recap
 
Saint Mary's vs. St. Olaf — Earlier This Year:
• November 23, 2019 * Saint Mary's Gym * Winona, Minn.: Clinging to a one-point lead, the Cardinals scored just 12 fourth-quarter points ­— 10 of which came at the free throw line — as St. Olaf rallied to deal Saint Mary's a 70-61 setback in the teams' conference opener | Recap
 
Saint Mary's vs. St. Olaf — A Year Ago:
• January 31, 2019 * Winona, Minn.: St. Olaf used a 33-point fourth quarter in dealing Saint Mary's a 78-71 conference setback at the Saint Mary's Gym | Recap
 
Up Next:
• Saint Mary's: The Cardinals are back on the road on Wednesday, heading to Macalester's Leonard Center in St. Paul, Minn., for a 7 p.m. conference matchup against the Scots.
• St. Olaf: The Oles return home to Skoglund Center in Northfield, Minn., on Wednesday, playing host to Hamline in a 7 p.m. MIAC showdown.
 
Scouting The Saint Mary's Cardinals:
2019-20 Roster | 2019-20 Schedule | 2019-20 Statistics
• Saturday's game at St. Olaf is the third of five straight road games for the Cardinals, who are in the midst of playing 11 of 13 games away from the Saint Mary's Gym. … Ashley Streveler (Colby, Wis.) scored a career-high 11 points to lead the Cardinals in Monday's 55-53 loss to St. Catherine. … With her 11-point effort, Streveler became the fifth different player to lead the Cardinals in scoring this season, joining Shayley Vesel (Austin, Minn.), Brooklyn Paulson (Holmen, Wis.), Ewelina Schlomann (New Berlin, Wis.), and Claire Patterson (Marine, Minn.). … The Cardinals now boast four players who have scored a single-game career-high of 10 or more points this season — Vesel (28 v. Concordia on Dec. 7), Paulson (26 v. Hamline on Jan. 11), Schlomann (15 v. Macalester on Dec. 11), and Streveler (11 v. St. Catherine on Jan. 22). … Paulson netted 26 points and Vesel added 23 in the Cardinals' 82-80 overtime loss to Hamline on Jan. 11, marking the second time this season the Cardinal duo has each scored 20 or more points in the same game — Vesel tallied 25 and Paulson added 23 against UW-Stevens Point on Dec. 30. … Vesel has scored 20 or more points four times this season. … Vesel's 28-point effort against Concordia on Dec. 7 was the highest individual single-game total since Alexa Huisman poured in 32 against Hamline on Jan. 20, 2018. … Paulson has scored 10 or more points 23 times in her first two years as a Cardinal — including six games of 20 or more points. … The Cardinals put a season-high four players in double figures against St. Catherine in the teams' first meeting on Dec. 4 — Vesel (18), Paulson (18), Schlomann (15), and Patterson (12). … Vesel heads into Saturday's conference game at St. Olaf averaging a team-leading 15.1 ppg, while Paulson (12.1 ppg) is also averaging in double figures. … Rachel Kedl (Lamberton, Minn.) holds the team lead in rebounds with 71 (5.1 rpg), followed by Vesel (62, 4.4 rpg), and Jada Biermeier (61, 3.8 rpg). … Hallie Schmeling (Onalaska, Wis.) is the team-leader with 40 assists, six more than Patterson, while Vesel boasts a team-high 29 steals. … Biermeier owns a team-high six blocked shots, followed by Vesel with five. … Paulson — who knocked down a single-game career-high seven 3-pointers against Augsburg on Jan. 5, 2019 — leads the team with 31 treys, followed by Vesel with 17. … The Cardinals are shooting 35.7 percent from the field (345-for-966) — including 88-for-334 from behind the 3-point line — and are 183-for-279 from the free throw line. … The Cardinals have netted a season-high 10 3-pointers twice this season — vs. Concordia on Dec. 7 and against UW-Stevens Point on Dec. 30. … Saint Mary's 82-80 loss to Hamline on Jan. 11 was the Cardinals' third overtime game of the season. The three overtime games are the most since Saint Mary's went into OT three times during the 1997-98 campaign. … All three of Saint Mary's OT games have been decided by two points — the Cardinals beat Macalester 70-68 in OT on Dec. 11, while falling to St. Catherine 79-77 in double overtime on Dec. 4, and losing to Hamline 82-80 last Saturday. … The Cardinals' 79-77 loss to St. Catherine on Dec. 4 was its first double-overtime game since beating Bethel 73-69 on Jan. 24, 2009. … The Cardinals' 80-point effort in their 82-80 loss to Hamline on Jan. 11 were a season-high. … Saint Mary's, which is averaging 60.1 ppg, has scored 70 or more points five times this season. … The Cardinals have already played six games this season against teams ranked nationally — having faced No. 7 Wartburg, No. 8 UW-Oshkosh, No. 17 UW-Whitewater, No. 17 Gustavus, No. 22 St. Thomas, and No. 25 Bethel. … With their 70-68 MIAC win over Macalester on Dec. 11, the Cardinals snapped their season-opening five-game losing streak.
 
Scouting The St. Olaf Oles:
2019-20 Roster | 2019-20 Schedule | 2019-20 Statistics
• Saturday's game against Saint Mary's is the second of three straight home games for the Oles, who have won just twice on their home court this season. St. Olaf is 2-3 at home, while going 5-6 away from Skoglund Center. … With Wednesday's 76-49 loss to Augsburg, the Oles have now been held under 50 points in each of their last two losses — managing just 36 points in falling to No. 13 Bethel 82-36 on Jan. 15. … St. Olaf has been held under 60 points in seven of their nine losses this season. … Britta Koenen equaled her season high with 15 points for the Oles in Wednesday's loss to Augsburg, while Rachel Kelly also finished in double figures with 10 points. … St. Olaf enters Saturday's matchup against Saint Mary's boasting a pair of players who are averaging in double figures in scoring — K'Lynn Lewis (12.2 ppg) and Kelly (11.0 ppg). … Camryn Scott is the team's rebounding leader with 112 (7.5 rpg), followed by Koenen with 95 (6.8 rpg). … Along with her team-leading 12.2 ppg scoring average, Lewis has also amassed a team-high 53 assists, while Ella Krien is the team-leader in steals with 29 and Koenen has compiled a team-best 21 blocked shots. … St. Olaf has knocked down 68 3-pointers through 16 games, led by Lewis with 28. … As a team, the Oles as shooting 40.3 percent from the field (367-for-910), while going 68 of 269 from behind the 3-point line (25.3 percent) and 184-for-295 (62.4 percent) from the free throw line. … The Oles are averaging 61.6 ppg, while their opponents are scoring at a 66.1 ppg clip. … St. Olaf has scored 70 or more points in a game five times — including a pair of games of 80 or more points. The Oles netted 82 points in dropping Buena Vista 82-73, while pouring in a season-high 87 points in an 87-53 victory over North Central on Nov. 12.