SAINT MARY'S CARDINALS 

(2-3 MIAC, 3-5 OVERALL)

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BETHEL ROYALS

(2-3 MIAC, 3-5 OVERALL)

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LAST MEETING: Feb.6, 2021 * L, 81-67

HEAD-TO-HEAD: Series History

SAINT MARY'S LAST ACTION:

Dec. 8, 2021 * St. Olaf * L, 72-63

BETHEL LAST ACTION:

Dec. 8, 2021 * Concordia * W, 74-56

SAINT MARY'S UP NEXT:

Jan. 5, 2022 * Gustavus * St. Peter, MN * 7:00

BETHEL UP NEXT: 

Jan. 5, 2022 * St. Benedict * St. Joseph, MN * 7:00

• FOR THE RECORD: The Cardinals enter their conference game against Bethel sitting at 3-5 on the season, while sporting a 2-3 mark in conference play.

• LAST ACTION: Brooklyn Paulson (Holmen, Wis.) equaled her season-high with 24 points, but the Cardinal offense struggled in the first and four quarters — being outscored 41-20 in that 20-minute span — in falling to St. Olaf 72-63 Wednesday evening at the SMU Gym.

• HOME COOKING: Saturday’s game against Bethel is the second of back-to-back home games to close out the 2021 portion of the Cardinals’ schedule. Saint Mary’s has played five of its first eight games on the road — going 3-2 away from the Saint Mary’s Gym,

• GREATER THAN 20: Paulson’s team-best 24-point showing against St. Olaf Wednesday marked the third time this season the SMU senior eclipsed the 20-point mark, having also netted 22 points against Macalester on Nov. 20 and 24 points against Hamline three days later. Paulson has now scored 20 or more points 11 times in her collegiate career.

• DOUBLING UP: Paulson’s 24-point, 12-rebound effort against Hamline on Nov. 23 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 record career-highs of 10 or more points in a game this season, including four — Biermeier (19), Ashley Streveler (Colby, Wis. / 18), Valerie Higgins (Sioux Falls, S.D. / 13), and Alyssa Coleman (Matteson, Ill. / 12) —  in the Cardinals’ 80-74 win over Martin Luther on Nov. 15. … Izzy Goettelman (Winona, Minn.) poured in a career-best 13 points against Hamline on Nov. 23 and Macey Petron (Royalton, Minn.) delivered a career-high 11 vs. Luther on Sunday. … Paulson also had a career night against the Pipers on Nov. 23 with 12 rebounds.

• LEADING THE CHARGE: Paulson enters SMU's matchup against Bethel averaging a team- and conference-leading 18.3 ppg scoring average. Jada Biermeier (Eau Claire, Wis.) is also averaging in double figures, sitting at 10.1 ppg, followed by Streveler at 8.0 ppg and Goettelman at 7.9 ppg. … Paulson has led or shared the team lead in scoring in seven of their eight games — including each of the last six.

• HITTING THE BOARDS: Along with her team-leading 18.3 ppg scoring average, Paulson is also the team’s leader in rebounds with 59 (7.4 rpg), followed by Biermeier with 42 (5.4 rpg). … Paulson’s career-high 12-rebound showing against Hamline on Nov. 23 were the most in a game since Rachel Kedl recorded 16 boards against Hamline on Jan. 11, 2020.

• 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 18 3-pointers, while Streveler is second with 12. SMU — which has knocked down eight or more treys three times this season — is shooting 30.1 percent from behind the arc this season (50-for-166).

• 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 33.0 percent from the field (161-for-488), with 50 3-pointers, and are 140 of 194 (72.2 percent) from the free throw line. The Cardinals 72.2 percent accuracy from the line leads the MIAC. … SMU is averaging 64.0 ppg, while the Cardinals’ opponents are scoring at a 68.6 ppg clip. … Saint Mary’s finished with a season-high 71 field goal attempts in its 72-63 loss to St. Olaf Wednesday.

• 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.

• 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, 2020.

• 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

• 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 Royals enter their road contest at Bethel sitting at 3-5 overall, while sporting a 2-3 record in conference play.

• LAST ACTION: The Royals knocked down a season-high nine 3-pointers and shot 64.3 percent from behind the arc in cruising to a 74-56 conference win over Concordia Wednesday in Arden Hills, Minn.

• STREAKING ALONG: Wednesday’s 18-point win over Concordia was the Royals’ second straight victory. After opening the season with a 92-47 win over UW-River Falls on Nov. 9, Bethel dropped five straight — falling to UW-Platteville, UW-Stout, Gustavus, Augsburg, and Hamline — before recording back-to-back wins over St. Catherine and Concordia.

• ROAD WOES: Bethel has won just once in its four road contests this season, beating St. Catherine 63-49 on Dec. 4. The Royals are 2-2 on their home court this season.

• OFFENSIVE LEADERS: Makenna Pearson and Courtney Nuest are the Royals’ offensive leaders, averaging 13.6 ppg and 12.9 ppg, respectively. Megan Boegel is third on the team in scoring, sitting at 9.6 ppg. … Nuest has scored in double figures in six of the team’s eight games, while Pearson’s 22-point effort against Concordia on Wednesday is the Royals’ top performance of the season.

• ON THE GLASS: Bethel boasts six players with 20 or more rebounds this season — including three with 30 or more boards. Nuest leads the way, hauling in 51 rebounds (6.4 rpg), followed by Pearson with 35 (4.4 rpg) and Anna Garfield with 30 (5.0 rpg). … Lydia Hagstrom pulled down a team- and season-high 14 boards against Augsburg on Nov. 23.

• ROYAL SNIPER: Pearson has accounted for 17 of the team’s 39 3-pointers this season. Pearson is shooting 34.0 percent from behind the arc, knocking down 17 of 50 treys.

• LENDING A HAND: Bella Williams has dished out a team-high 40 assists, followed by Nuest with 23 helpers and Pearson with 15.

• STEALING THE SHOW: Bethel boasts four players who have recorded 10 or more steals through eight games, led by Williams with 25 and Nuest with 17. Pearson (15) and Emma Schultz (11) are the other two.

• AS A TEAM: Bethel is shooting 43.4 percent from the field (204-for-470), including 39 3-pointers, and is 89-for-124 (71.8 percent) from the free throw line. … The Royals are averaging 67.0 ppg, while their opponents are scoring at a 63.0 ppg clip. … BU scored a season-high 92 points in its season-opening 92-47 win over UW-River Falls on Nov. 9. The Royals have scored 70 or more points three times this season. On the flip side, BU was held to a season-low 42 points in falling to Gustavus 53-42 on Nov. 20.