SAINT MARY'S CARDINALS 

(0-0 OVERALL)

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AUGUSTANA VIKINGS

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LAST MEETING: Tuesday is first-ever meeting

SMU LAST ACTION:

Nov. 6, 2021 * Winona St.

(Exhibition) * L, 77-61

AUGUSTANA LAST ACTION: 

Nov. 12, 2021 * Dubuque * W, 80-64 

SMU UP NEXT:

Nov. 20, 2021 * Macalester * St. Paul, MN * 3:00

AUGUSTANA UP NEXT: 

Nov. 19, 2021 * Calvin * Grand Rapids, MI. * 6:30

• FOR THE RECORD: The Cardinals enter their season-opener against Augustana on the heels of a 6-2 showing during their eight-game, pandemic shortened 2020-21 season. In their last full season in 2019-20, the Cardinals went 14-13 overall, including 10-10 in conference play. SMU qualified for the MIAC Tournament for the first time in 35 years, beating Bethel 72-59, before falling to St. Thomas 79-66 in the semifinals.

• EXHIBITION RECAP: Kareem Anthony-Bello (Chicago, Ill.) scored a team-high 17 points in the Cardinals’ 77-61 exhibition loss to NCAA Division II Winona State on Nov. 7. Jabari Sawyer (Chicago, Ill.) chipped in 10 points for the Cardinals, who outscored WSU 39-32 in the second half.

• ROAD WARRIORS: Tuesday’s game at Augustana is the first of three straight road games for the Cardinals, who do not open the home portion of their schedule until Dec. 1, when they welcome Saint John’s to the Saint Mary’s Gym for a 7 p.m. showdown.

• LONG TIME COMING: Saint Mary’s 14 wins in 2019-20 were the most overall wins since going 15-10 during the 1984-85 campaign, while their 10 MIAC victories were the most since going 11-9 during the 1999-2000 season.

• WINNING WAYS: Saint Mary’s 6-2 record in 2020-21 included a five-game winning streak. It was the longest winning streak since winning six in a row as part of an 8-1 start to the 2010-11 season.

• PERFECT AT HOME: The Cardinals closed out the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season a perfect 3-0 on their home court — beating Gustavus (67-45), Bethel (57-48), and Hamline (57-54).

• TEAM LEADERS: Anthony and Eli Cave (St. Paul, Minn.) both averaged in double figures last season, ending the year at 18.4 ppg and 18.0 ppg, respectively. Cave amassed a team-leading 55 rebounds (6.9 rpg) — two more than Anthony — while Anthony also led the Cardinals in assists (25) and steals (24).

• DOUBLING UP: Anthony posted double-doubles in two of the Cardinals’ eight games in 2020-21 — 25 points and 10 rebounds against Hamline on Feb. 1 and a 13-ponit, 10-rebound effort against Bethel on Feb. 17. Anthony now has four double-doubles in his two-year Saint Mary’s career.

• 20-POINT BARRIER: SMU had a 20-point scorer in seven of its eight games in 2020-21, while having two players score 20 or more points in the same game twice.

• CAREER HIGHS:The Cardinals had three players post single-game career-highs of 10 or more points in 2020-21. Zach Kjeseth (Wabasha, Minn.) scored 12 points against Bethel on Feb. 20, while Owen Ziegler (Mount Horeb, Wis.) netted 10 points against Hamline on Feb. 27 and Nick Falls (Plymouth, Minn.) tallied 10 against Bethel on Feb. 17.

• AMONG THE PROGRAM’S BEST: Cave closed out his Cardinal career with 1,274 points, ranking him 11 all-time, just four points back of No. 10 Tom Pepper ’74 (1,281). Cave scored 10 or more points in 57 of 60 games over the last three seasons — and netted 20 or more points 28 times in his collegiate career. Cave closed out his career eight double-doubles, including one last season.

• AS A TEAM: Saint Mary’s shot 44.6 percent from the field (207-for-464), while going 50-for-96 (52.1 percent) from the free throw line. The Cardinals drained 65 3-pointers through eight games.

• GOING DEEP: The Cardinals drained 65 3-pointers eight games in 2020-21. Cave led the way with 16 treys, followed by Anthony (14), Kareem Anthony-Bello (Chicago, Ill. / 13), and Caden Freetly (Farmington, Minn. / 11).

• SCORING IN BUNCHES: The Cardinals 81 points in their two-point win over Augsburg on Feb. 22, 2021 were a season-high. Saint Mary’s netted 80 or more points five times in 2019-20.

• FOR THE RECORD: The Vikings enter Tuesday’s first-ever matchup against Saint Mary’s sitting at 1-1 on the young season — falling to UW-Oshkosh 90-70 in its season-opener on Nov. 6, while beating University of Dubuque 80-64 last Friday.

• LAST ACTION: Luke Johnson scored 16 of his game-high 20 points in the second half, as the Vikings outscored the University of Dubuque 39-30 in the game’s final 20 minutes en route to an 80-64 victory. 

• HEAVY-HITTERS: The Vikings’ first two games this season have come against nationally ranked opponents. Augustana opened the season with a 90-70 loss to No. 17 UW-Oshkosh, before last Friday’s 80-64 victory against No. 16 University of Dubuque.

• WIN NO. 1: Last Friday’s win over University of Dubuque was not only the Vikings’ first win of the season, but it was also the first win at the helm for Augustana head coach Tom Jessee.

• HOME AGAIN: Tuesday’s nonconference game against Saint Mary’s is the second of back-to-back home games for the Vikings, who finished 5-1 on its home court during last season’s 12-game schedule.

• SCORING LEADERS: The Vikings head into Tuesday’s nonconference game boasting four players who are averaging in double figures in scoring, led by Dan Carr’s 17.5 ppg scoring average. Carter Duwa (15.0 ppg), Johnson (14.0 ppg), and Matt Hawkins (10.5 ppg) are also averaging in double figures. … Johnson’s 20-point effort against the University of Dubuque was not only a game-high, but also the Vikings’ highest single-game effort of the season.

• ON THE BOARDS: Along with his team-leading 17.5 ppg scoring average, Carr also leads Augustana in rebounding, averaging 11.5 rpg. Johnson is second with eight rebounds (4.0 rpg), one more than Justin Bottorff (3.5 rpg).

• DOUBLING UP: Carr picked up his first double-double of the season in the team’s first game of the year, scoring 19 points and adding 14 rebounds in Augustana’s 90-70 loss to UW-Oshkosh on Nov. 6.

• BEHIND THE ARC: Nicolas Gilberto has poured in a team-best five 3-pointers this season, followed by Carr with four and Johnson with three. The trio have accounted for 12 of the team’s 14 3-ponters through two games.

• LENDING A HAND: Johnson has dished out a team-leading seven assists through two games, two more than both Hawkins and Matt Hanushewsky.

• I’LL TAKE THAT: Augustana has collected 10 steals in its first two games, led by Hanushewsky with three, and Carr and Nicolas Gilberto with two each.

• AS A TEAM: The Vikings are shooting 49.5 percent from the field (53-for-107), while going 30 of 35 (85.7 percent) from the free throw line. Augustana is averaging 75.0 ppg, while the Vikings’ first two opponents are scoring at a 77.0 ppg clip.