By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
ARDEN HILLS, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University women's basketball returns to conference action on Saturday, as the Cardinals head to Bethel's Robertson Center Gym for a 3 p.m. showdown with the Royals.
 
The Matchup:
• Saint Mary's Cardinals (1-3 MIAC, 1-8 Overall) at #25 Bethel Royals (5-0 MIAC, 10-0 Overall)
 
GameDay Live On The Web:
• Live Stats * Live Video
 
Last Action:
• Saint Mary's­­ — December 29-30, 2019 * Wisconsin Dells, Wis.: The Cardinals dropped both of their games at the JustAGame Holiday Shootout, falling to nationally ranked UW-Whitewater 73-44, before dropping a heartbreaking, 82-79 decision to UW-Stevens Point | UWW Recap * UWSP Recap
• Bethel — December 29-30, 2019 * Naples, Fla.: The Royals ran its winning streak to 10 straight, beating Vassar (78-67) and Salisbury (63-43) at the Naples Shootout | Vassar Recap * Salisbury Recap
 
Saint Mary's vs. Bethel — A Year Ago:
• February 6, 2019 * Robertson Center Gym * Arden Hills, Minn.: Bethel outscored Saint Mary's in all four quarters — including 20-15 in the second and 20-13 in the third — as the Royals slowly pulled away in handing the Cardinals an 86-68 conference setback | Recap
• February 16, 2019 * Robertson Center Gym * Arden Hills, Minn.: Bethel erupted for 25 points in the game's final 10 minutes, as the Royals dealt the Cardinals a season-ending 66-52 setback in an MIAC Tournament quarterfinal | Recap
 
Up Next:
• Saint Mary's: The Cardinals are back on the road on Wednesday, heading to Gustavus' Gus Young Court in St. Peter, Minn., for a 7 p.m. conference matchup against the Gusties.
• Bethel: The Royals hit the road on Wednesday, traveling to Augsburg's Si Melby Hall in Minneapolis, Minn., for a 7 p.m. MIAC showdown with the Auggies.
 
Scouting The Saint Mary's Cardinals:
2019-20 Roster | 2019-20 Schedule | 2019-20 Statistics
• Saturday's game at Bethel is the fourth of six straight road games for the Cardinals, who do not return to the Saint Mary's Gym until Jan. 15, when they host Saint Benedict in a 7 p.m. conference contest. … Four of the Cardinals' last six games have been decided by five points or less — including a three-point, 82-79 loss to UW-Stevens Point on Dec. 30, a two-point, overtime win over Macalester on Dec. 11, a two-point, double-overtime setback to St. Catherine on Dec. 4, and a five-point loss to Concordia three days later. … Shayley Vesel (Austin, Minn.) led the Cardinals in scoring both of their games at the JustAGame Holiday Shootout on Dec. 29-30, scoring 11 points against nationally ranked UW-Whitewater, while adding a season-high 25 points against UW-Stevens Point. … Brooklyn Paulson (Holmen, Wis.) also scored in double figures in both of the Cardinals' JustAGame tournament games, netting 10 points against UW-Whitewater and 23 vs. UW-Stevens Point. … The 25-point effort by Vesel and 23-point showing from Paulson marked the first time this season Saint Mary's has had two players score 20 or more points in the same game. … Paulson's 23 points against UW-Stevens Point on Dec. 30 were a career high, while Vesel's 25 points were three shy of her collegiate best. … Vesel scored a career-high 28 points in the Cardinals' 76-71 loss to Concordia on Dec. 7. The effort was the highest individual single-game total since Alexa Huisman poured in 32 against Hamline on Jan. 20, 2018. … Vesel has now scored in double figures in all nine of the Cardinals' games this season. … Paulson has scored 10 or more points 20 times in her first two years as a Cardinal — including five games of 20 or more points. … Ewelina Schlomann (New Berlin, Wis.) equaled her career-high with 15 points against Macalester on Dec. 11. … Schlomann's team-high 15-point effort against Macalester on Dec. 11 marks the only time this season Vesel or Brooklyn Paulson (Holmen, Wis.) has not led the team in scoring. … The Cardinals put a season-high four players in double figures against St. Catherine on Dec. 4 — Vesel (18), Paulson (18), Schlomann (15), and Claire Patterson (Marine, Minn. / 12). … Vesel heads into Saturday's conference game at Bethel averaging a team-leading 16.1 ppg, while Paulson (14.1 ppg) is also averaging in double figures. … Vesel owns a team-high 44 rebounds (4.9 rpg), with Jada Biermeier (Eau Claire, Wis.) second (42, 4.7 rpg) and Schlomann (34, 4.3 rpg) third. … Hallie Schmeling (Onalaska, Wis.) is the team-leader with 24 assists, five more than Patterson, while Vesel boasts team-highs with 15 steals. … Vesel and Biermeier share the team lead in blocks with four each. … Paulson — who knocked down a single-game career-high seven 3-pointers en route to her career-high 23-point showing against Augsburg on Jan. 5, 2019 — leads the team with 22 treys, followed by Vesel with 12. … The Cardinals are shooting 35.8 percent from the field (202-for-564) — including 51-for-193 from behind the 3-point line — and are 108-for-162 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. … The Cardinals' 79-point effort in their 82-79 loss to UW-Stevens Point on Dec. 30 were a season-high. … Saint Mary's, which is averaging 62.6 ppg, has scored 70 or more points four times this season. … The Cardinals' 70-68 win over Macalester on Dec. 11 was its second overtime game of the season — marking the first time since the 2016-17 season that Saint Mary's has played two overtime games in the same year. … 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. … With their 70-68 MIAC win over Macalester on Dec. 11, the Cardinals snapped their season-opening five-game losing streak. … The Cardinals made their seventh MIAC Tournament appearance in the last eight years a year ago, falling to Bethel 66-52 in the quarterfinals. … The Cardinals picked up their first win under head coach David Foley with their 87-76 triumph over Nebraska Wesleyan on Nov. 17, 2018.
 
Scouting The Bethel Royals:
2019-20 Roster | 2019-20 Schedule | 2019-20 Statistics
• The Royals enter Saturday's conference showdown against Saint Mary's ranked No. 25 in the latest D3hoops.com Top 25. … With their wins over Vassar and Salisbury at the Naples Shootout on Dec. 29-30, the Royals pushed their season-opening winning streak to 10 straight. … Bethel plays three of its next four games on their home court — the Royals are 3-0 at Robertson Center Gym this season. … Makenna Pearson scored a team-high 24 points in Bethel's win over Vassar on Dec. 29, while Taite Anderson equaled that feat in BU's win over Salisbury the following day. … Anderson enters Saturday's game against Saint Mary's averaging a team-high 19.7 ppg, while Pearson also boasts a double-figure scoring average at 12.4 ppg. … Anderson also owns a team-leading 66 rebounds (6.6 rpg), followed by Elizabeth Schwarz (51, 5.1 rpg) and Haylee Barker (43, 4.3 rpg). … Bethel has three players with 20 or more assists — Barker (38), Bella Williams (300, and Kat Brown-Erdal (22). … As a team, the Royals are shooting 47.3 percent from the field (282-for-596) with 71 3-pointers, while hitting on 122 of 180 free throws (67.8 percent). … Pearson has knocked down a team-high 28 3-pointers, followed by Brown-Erdal with 11. … Bethel is averaging 75.7 ppg and has scored 80 or more points three times — including a season-high 85 points in beating both UW-River Falls (85-52) and Macalester (85-45).