By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
WINONA, Minn. — After five straight road games, the Saint Mary's University women's basketball team finally returned home Wednesday for a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference showdown against Augsburg.
 
Unfortunately for the Cardinals, home cooking was not enough, as the Auggies outscored Saint Mary's 19-2 in the game's final 10 minutes in dealing SMU a 71-59 conference setback.
 
The Cardinals put together a 21-point first quarter and outscored Augsburg 37-31 in the second and third quarters combined to take a 57-52 lead into the game's final 10 minutes.
 
Over those final 10 minutes, however, the Auggies would net 19 points while Saint Mary's would fail to knock down one field goal — settling for a pair of Shayley Vesel (Austin, Minn.) free throws with 1:43 remaining — as Augsburg outscored Saint Mary's 19-2 in rallying for the 12-point win.
 
Vesel finished with 20 points for the Cardinals, while Brooklyn Paulson (Holmen, Wis.) chipped in 15 points. Saint Mary's shot 40 percent from the field (18-for-45) — including a 10-for-16 showing from behind the 3-point line — while adding a 13 of 19 effort from the free throw line.
 
Augsburg, which shot 42.2 percent from the field (27-for-64) with 11 3-pointers and a 6 of 8 effort from the free throw line, was led by Aiza Wilson, who scored a game-high 22 points. Tamira McLemore and Camryn Speese each added 11 points.
 
The Cardinals (2-13 MIAC, 2-18 overall) are back on their home court at the Saint Mary's Gym on Saturday, as Saint Mary's plays host to Bethel in a 3 p.m. conference matchup. The Auggies (13-2 MIAC, 17-3 overall), meanwhile, return home to Si Melby Hall in Minneapolis, Minn., on Saturday, entertaining Saint Benedict in a 3 p.m. MIAC showdown.