By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
NORTHFIELD, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University women's basketball team hits the road on Wednesday, traveling to Carleton's West Gym for a 7 p.m. conference showdown against the Knights.
 
The Matchup:
• Saint Mary's Cardinals (3-13 MIAC, 3-18 Overall) at Carleton (5-11 MIAC, 8-13 Overall)
 
GameDay Live On The Web:
• Live Stats * Live Video
 
Last Action:
• Saint Mary's — February 8, 2020 * Saint Mary's Gym * Winona, Minn.: The Cardinals put four players in double figures — and scored 15 of the game's first 16 points in dealing fifth-ranked Bethel its first loss of the season, a 77-69 decision | Recap
• Carleton — February 8, 2020 * Leonard Center * St. Paul, Minn.: The Knights survived an eight-point second quarter, not to mention a four-quarter Macalester push, as Carleton held off the Scots 61-53 | Recap
 
Saint Mary's vs. Carleton — A Year Ago:
• December 1, 2018 * West Gym * Northfield, Minn.: Saint Mary's put three players in double figures — including a 20-point effort from Brooklyn Paulson (Holmen, Wis.) and a career-high 19 points from Maggie Robertson (Orland Park, Ill.) — and cruised to a 78-57 conference-opening win over Carleton | Recap
• January 9, 2019 * Saint Mary's Gym * Winona, Minn.: Saint Mary's struggled to find its shooting touch all evening, hitting just 27.7 percent from the field — but a stifling defense and some clutch baskets down the stretch earned the Cardinals a 53-48 victory over the Knights | Recap
 
Up Next:
• Saint Mary's: The Cardinals return home to the Saint Mary's Gym on Saturday, playing host to Hamline in a 3 p.m. conference contest.
• Carleton: The Knights head back to West Gym in Northfield, Minn., for a 3 p.m. MIAC matchup against cross-town rival St. Olaf.
 
Scouting The Saint Mary's Cardinals:
2019-20 Roster | 2019-20 Schedule | 2019-20 Statistics
• Saturday's game against Bethel was the second of back-to-back home games for the Cardinals. … The Cardinals' upset win over fifth-ranked Bethel last Saturday marked the seventh game this season against teams ranked nationally — having also faced No. 7 Wartburg, No. 8 UW-Oshkosh, No. 17 UW-Whitewater, No. 17 Gustavus, No. 22 St. Thomas, and then-No. 25 Bethel in their first meeting. … Shayley Vesel (Austin, Minn.) led the Cardinals in scoring for the fourth straight game last Saturday, scoring 16 points in Saint Mary's 77-69 win over No. 5 Bethel. ... Vesel was one of four players to score 10 or more points against No. 5 Bethel last Saturday. Brooklyn Paulson (Holmen, Minn.) chipped in 15 points, while Maggie Robertson (Orland Park, Ill.) and Claire Patterson (Marine, Minn.) chipped in 14 and 12 points, respectively. ... Saint Mary's has now put four players in double figures in the same game twice, also achieving the feat against St. Catherine in the teams' first meeting on Dec. 4. ... Vesel has scored 20 or more points in a game twice in the Cardinals' last four games, and five times this season. … The Cardinals have had a player score 20 or more points in three of their last five games — Vesel has accounted for two of the three (20 vs. Augsburg on Feb. 5 and 26 vs. Macalester on Jan. 29) and Paulson owns the other (27 vs. St. Olaf on Jan. 25). … Vesel's 26-point effort against Macalester on Jan. 29 was two points shy of her career-high 28-point showing against Concordia in their first meeting on Dec. 7. … 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's 27 points against St. Olaf on Jan. 25 marked the second time this season the sophomore has recorded a career-high in scoring. She netted a then-career-best 26 points against Hamline on Jan. 11. … Paulson has scored 10 or more points 28 times in her first two years as a Cardinal — including seven games of 20 or more points. … Ashley Streveler (Colby, Wis.) scored a career-high 11 points to lead the Cardinals in their 55-53 loss to St. Catherine on Jan. 20, becoming the fifth different player to lead the Cardinals in scoring this season, joining Vesel, Paulson, Ewelina Schlomann (New Berlin, Wis.), and Patterson. … The Cardinals 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 (27 v. St. Olaf on Jan. 25), Ewelina Schlomann (New Berlin, Wis. / 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 heads into Wednesday's conference game at Carleton averaging a team-leading 16.0 ppg, while Paulson (13.1 ppg) is also averaging in double figures. … Vesel also holds the team lead in rebounds with 86 (4.5 rpg). … Patterson is the team-leader in assists with 53, seven in front of Hallie Schmeling (Onalaska, Wis.), while Vesel boasts a team-high 41 steals. … Jada Biermeier (Eau Claire, Wis.) 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 in the teams' first meeting on Jan. 5, 2019 — leads the team with 47 treys, followed by Vesel (25), Streveler (15), and Schmeling (12). … The Cardinals are shooting 36.2 percent from the field (452-for-1250) — including 132-for-452 from behind the 3-point line — and are 269-for-395 from the free throw line. … The Cardinals have netted a season-high 10 3-pointers four this season — vs. Augsburg on Feb. 5, vs. St. Olaf on Jan. 25, vs. Concordia on Dec. 7, and against UW-Stevens Point on Dec. 30. … With their 20-point, 77-57 win over Macalester on Jan. 29, the Cardinals put an end to their 11-game losing streak, dating back to a 70-68 overtime win over the Scots on Dec. 11. … Saint Mary's set a season-high for free throws made (23) against St. Olaf on Jan. 25. … 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 was a season-high. … Saint Mary's, which is averaging 61.5 ppg, has scored 70 or more points eight times this season.
 
Scouting The Carleton Knights:
2019-20 Roster | 2019-20 Schedule | 2019-20 Statistics
• Wednesday's game against Saint Mary's is the first of back-to-back home games for the Knights, who have picked up six of their eight wins this season on their home floor. ... Last Saturday's 61-53 win over Macalester snapped the Knights' two-game losing streak - which included surrendering 90 or more points in back-to-back losses to Augsburg and Gustavus. ... Carleton put four players in double figures in last Saturday's win over Macalester. Jill Yanai and Samantha Cooke each scored 12 points, with Katie Chavez and Anna Hughes each chipping in 11. ... The Knights enter Wednesday's showdown against Saint Mary's boasting three players who are averaging in double figures in scoring. Chavez owns a team-leading 17.9 ppg scoring average, followed by Cooke (12.8 ppg) and Yanai (10.6 ppg). ... Yanai has collected a team-leading 154 rebounds (7.7 rpg), while Cooke has also reached the 100-rebound plateau, entering Wednesday's game with 102 (5.1 rpg). ... Carleton boasts three players with 30 or more assists - Yanai (51), Chavez (48), and Alana Whitfield (32). ... Whitfiled also leads the team in steals with 44, while Cooke (20) and Hughes (15) have accounted for 35 of the team's 50 blocked shots. ... The Knights have drained 126 3-pointers this season, led by Chavez (38), Hughes (34), Whitfield (18), and Yanai (17) ... As a team, Carleton is shooting 37.2 percent from the field (395-for-1063) - including 126-for-425 from beyond the arc - and are 255-for-335 from the free throw line. ... Carleton is averaging 58.5 ppg and have scored 80 or more points twice - netting 84 in an 84-33 win over Crown on Nov. 16, while pouring in a season-high 90 in falling to Augsburg 97-90 in overtime on Feb. 1.