SAINT MARY'S CARDINALS 

(1-1 MIAC, 2-3 OVERALL)

Team Home | Roster | Stats | Schedule

SAINT BENEDICT BENNIES

(1-0 MIAC, 4-0 OVERALL)

Team Home |Roster | Stats | Schedule

Live Stats | Streaming Video

LAST MEETING: Jan. 20, 2020 * L, 59-59

HEAD-2-HEAD: Series History

SAINT MARY'S LAST ACTION:

Nov. 28, 2021 * Luther * L, 81-56

SAINT BENEDICT LAST ACTION:

Nov. 23, 2021 * UW-Superior * W, 61-54

SAINT MARY'S UP NEXT:

Dec. 4, 2021 * St. Scholastica * Duluth, MN * 1:00

SAINT BENEDICT UP NEXT: 

Dec. 4, 2021 * Concordia * St. Joseph, MN * 1:00

• FOR THE RECORD: The Cardinals enter their conference game against Saint Benedict sitting at 2-3 on the season, while sitting at 1-1 in MIAC play.

• LAST ACTION: Brooklyn Paulson (Holmen, Wis.) scored 19 points and Macey Petron (Royalton, Minn.) chipped in 11, but the Cardinals struggled to find their shooting touch — shooting 29 percent from the field and managing just seven first-quarter points — in dropping an 81-56 decision to Luther last Sunday in SMU’s final nonconference contest of the season.

• ON THE ROAD AGAIN: After two straight home games, the Cardinals will play back-to-back road games at Saint Benedict and St. Scholastica, before closing out the 2021 portion of their schedule with back-to-back home contests against St. Olaf and Bethel.

• GREATER THAN 20: Paulson’s team-best 24-point showing against Hamline on Nov. 23 marked the second straight game in which the SMU senior has eclipsed the 20-point mark, having also netted 22 points in SMU’s 63-58 win over Macalester on Nov. 20. Paulson has now scored 20 or more points 10 times in her collegiate career.

• DOUBLING UP: Paulson’s 24-point, 12-rebound effort against Hamline last Tuesday was her first double-double of the season. Paulson posted her first collegiate double-double — also against Hamline — with 13 points and 11 rebounds on Feb. 27, 2021.

• CAREER HIGHS: Saint Mary’s has had five players recorded career-highs of 10 or more points in a game this season, including four — Jada Biermeier (Eau Claire, Wis. / 19), Ashley Streveler (Colby, Wis. / 18), Valerie Higgins (Sioux Falls, S.D. / 13), Alyssa Coleman (Matteson, Ill. / 12) —  in the Cardinals’ 80-74 win over Martin Luther on Nov. 15. … Goettelman poured in a career-best 13 points against Hamline on Nov. 23 and Petron delivered a career-high 11 vs. Luther on Sunday. … Paulson also had a career night against the Pipers on Nov. 23 with 12 rebounds.

• RAINING IN POINTS: The Cardinals’ 80-point effort against Martin Luther on Nov. 15 was its top offensive performance since scoring 85 points an 87-85 overtime loss to Hamline on Jan. 11, 20206

• LEADING THE CHARGE: Paulson and Biermeier enter Wednesday’s matchup against Saint Benedict averaging in double figures in scoring. Paulson owns a team-best 17.6 ppg average, while Biermeier comes in with a 10.2 ppg average. … Paulson has scored 10 or more points in four of SMU’s five games. Either Paulson or Biermeier has led the team in scoring in all five contests this season.

• HITTING THE BOARDS: Along with her team-leading 17.6 ppg scoring average, Paulson is also the team’s leader in rebounds with 40 (8.0 rpg), followed by Biermeier with 26 (5.2 rpg). … Paulson has led or shared the team lead in rebounds in all five contests this season.

• FROM DOWNTOWN: The Cardinals rained in a season-high 10 3-pointers against Hamline on Nov. 23, led by Paulson with five. Paulson leads the team with 12 3-pointers, while Streveler is second seven. SMU is shooting 35.9 percent from behind the arc this season (33-for-92).

• FREE POINTS: Biermeier knocked down a season- and career-high 10 free throws on 12 attempts against Martin Luther on Nov. 15. The 10 made free throws were the most by a Cardinal since Shayley Vesel went 10-for-13 from the charity stripe against Augsburg on Feb. 5, 2020. … Saint Mary’s 28 made free throws against Martin Luther on Nov. 15 were the most since netting 32 against Bethel on Feb. 27, 2014, while the Cardinals’ 35 free throws attempted were the most since attempting 35 vs. Macalester on Feb. 10, 2018.

• AS A TEAM: The Cardinals are shooting 35.7 percent from the field (101-for-283), with 33 3-pointers, and are 93 of 130 (71.5 percent) from the free throw line. SMU is averaging 65.6 ppg, while the Cardinals’ opponents are scoring at a 72.2 ppg clip.

• WORKING OVERTIME: Saint Mary’s 75-71 loss to Hamline on Nov. 23 was its first overtime game of the season. The Cardinals played a single-season, program-record four overtime games during the 2019-20 season, including three that were decided by two points.

• CARDINAL DEBUTS: Six of the 11 Cardinals who took the court against UW-Stevens Point on Nov. 9 were making their first collegiate appearances in a Saint Mary’s uniform. Goettelman led the “newcomers” charge, tossing in 10 points.

• MAC ATTACK: The Cardinals’ 63-58 win over Macalester on Nov. 20 was the 19th win against the Scots in their previous 20 meetings.

• FOR THE RECORD: The Bennies are off to a torrid start to 2021-22, opening the season with four straight wins — including a 61-49 win over St. Scholastica in their lone conference game thus far on Nov. 20.

• LAST ACTION: Saint Benedict pushed its season-opening winning streak to four with a 61-54 win over UW-Superior on Nov. 23. Carla Meyer tossed in a team-high 18 points, with Gabby Martin (16) and Madison Doran (10) also scoring in double figures for CSB.

• HOME SWEET HOME: Wednesday’s game against Saint Mary’s is the first of three straight home games for the Bennies, who play seven of their first nine games this season on their home court — the lone exceptions, a 61-54 win against UW-Superior on Nov. 23, and a Dec. 11 date at Macalester.

• LEADING THE WAY: Saint Benedict heads into Wednesday’s game against Saint Mary’s boasting three players who are averaging in double figures — Meyer (13.5 ppg), Martin (12.0 ppg), and Tori Szathmary (11.0 ppg). … Meyer and Martin have both scored 10 or more points in three of CSB’s four games this season. … Meyer poured in a career-high 18 points against UW-Superior on Nov. 23.

• GOING DEEP: Saint Benedict is averaging nearly seven 3-pointers a game, led by Meyer, who has delivered nine 3s and Hay with six.

• HITTING THE BOARDS: Szathmary has hauled in a team-leading 37 rebounds (9.3 rpg), while Meyer (29, 7.3 rpg) and Lydia Hay (22 (5.5 rpg) have also pulled down 20 or more boards through the Bennies’ first four games. … 

• DOUBLING UP: Szathmary has posted two double-doubles in CSB’s first four games — recording 17 points and 10 rebounds against Bethany Lutheran on Nov. 13 and adding 16 points and 12 boards against St. Scholastica on Nov. 20.

• LENDING A HAND: The Bennies have dished out 50 assists in four games, led by Meyer with 14. CSB has gotten at least one assist from 10 different players this season.

• STEALING THE SHOW: Martin and Doran lead the Bennies with 10 steals each. As a team, CSB boasts 43 steals on the year.

• AS A TEAM: Saint Benedict is shooting 38.0 percent from the field (97-for-255) with 27 3-pointers, and has hit on 52 of 93 free throws (55.9 percent). … CSB is averaging 68.2 ppg, while the Bennies’ opponents are scoring at a 56.5 ppg clip. … Saint Benedict scored a season-high 87 points in routing Bethany Lutheran 87-66 on Nov. 13 and has scored 60 or more points in all four contests. On the flip side, CSB has not allowed a team more than 66 points, including holding St. Scholastica to a season-low 49 points on Nov. 20.

• COACHING MILESTONE: The Bennies’ 61-49 win over St. Scholastica on Nov. 20, was the 700th victory at Saint Benedict for head coach Mike Durbin, who has spent the last 35 years as CSB’s head coach, after spending one season as the HC at Wittenberg College. Durbin is just the 17th active coach in all levels of the NCAA to reach the 700-win milestone. He is one of just three active NCAA Division III coaches with 700 or more wins, and is also tied for fourth in Division III with 25 20-win seasons,  In 36 years, Durbin boasts a 705-253 overall record.