SAINT MARY'S CARDINALS 

(2-2 MIAC, 3-4 OVERALL)

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ST. OLAF OLES

(1-3 MIAC, 2-3 OVERALL)

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LAST MEETING: Jan. 25, 2020 * L, 73-71

HEAD-TO-HEAD: Series History

SAINT MARY'S LAST ACTION:

Dec. 4, 2021 * St. Scholastica * W, 65-57

ST. OLAF LAST ACTION:

Dec. 4, 2021 * Hamline * L, 69-39

SAINT MARY'S UP NEXT:

Dec. 11, 2021 * Bethel * Winona, MN * 1:00

ST. OLAF UP NEXT: 

Dec. 11, 2021 * Augsburg * Northfield, MN * 1:00

• FOR THE RECORD: The Cardinals enter their conference game against St. Olaf sitting at 3-4 on the season, while evening their conference mark at 2-2 with last Saturday’s win over St. Scholastica.

• LAST ACTION: Jada Biermeier (Eau Claire, Wis.) and Brooklyn Paulson (Holmen, Wis.) each scored 18 points in leading the Cardinals to a 65-57 win over St. Scholastica last Saturday in the first-ever conference meeting between the two teams.

• HOME COOKING: After playing back-to-back road games, Wednesday’s matchup against St. Olaf is the first of two straight home games to close out the 2021 portion of the Cardinals’ schedule. Saint Mary’s has played five of its first seven 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 Hamline on Nov. 23 marked the second time this season the SMU senior 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 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 recorded 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), 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 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 Wednesday’s matchup against St. Olaf averaging a team-leading 17.4 ppg scoring average. Biermeier is also averaging in double figures, sitting at 11.0 ppg, followed by Goettelman (8.0 ppg), Streveler (7.4 ppg) and Coleman (5.6 ppg). … Paulson has led or shared the team lead in scoring in six of their seven games — including each of the last five.

• HITTING THE BOARDS: Along with her team-leading 17.4 ppg scoring average, Paulson is also the team’s leader in rebounds with 50 (7.1 rpg), followed by Biermeier with 38 (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 14 3-pointers, while Streveler is second with 10. SMU — which has knocked down eight or more treys in three of its first seven games — is shooting 31.9 percent from behind the arc this season (44-for-138).

• 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 33.8 percent from the field (141-for-417), with 44 3-pointers, and are 123 of 172 (71.5 percent) from the free throw line. SMU is averaging 64.1 ppg, while the Cardinals’ opponents are scoring at a ppg clip. … Saint Mary’s finished with a season-high 67 field goal attempts in its 69-66 loss to Saint Benedict last 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.

• 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.

• 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: St. Olaf heads into its mid-week contest against Saint Mary’s sitting at 2-3 overall, including a 1-2 mark in its three conference contests. 

• LAST ACTION: The Oles managed just one point in the second quarter — and failed to score more than 15 points in any of the four quarters — in falling to Hamline 69-39 last Saturday in St. Paul, Minn.

• ROAD WOES: St. Olaf’s game at Saint Mary’s on Wednesday is its second straight road contest. The Oles are winless (0-3) on the road this season, while sporting a 2-0 record on their home court. Following Tuesday’s matchup, St. Olaf will play its final three games of 2021 on their home court at Skoglund Center.

• LOPSIDED OUTCOMES: All five of the Oles’ games this season have been decided by 11 points or more. St. Olaf has beaten Macalester by 19 (86-67) and Crown by 45 (84-39), while falling to Gustavus by 11 (81-70), St. Catherine by 12 (61-49), and Hamline by 30 (69-39).

• LEADING THE CHARGE: Rachel Kelly heads into the Oles’ showdown with Saint Mary’s leading the team in scoring, averaging 15.4 ppg. She is one of two Oles who are averaging in double figures through five contests, being joined by K’Lynn Lewis, is owns a 13.8 ppg scoring average. … Kelly has scored in double figures in all five games this season, including a pair of 20+ point performances — netting 21 against Hamline last Saturday and a season-high 22 vs. Gustavus on Nov. 23. 

• ON THE BOARDS: Sophie Olmen has recorded a team-leading 35 rebounds (7.0 rpg), just three more boards than Kelly (32, 6.4 rpg), while Sophia Kormann (25, 5.0 rpg) and Lewis (21, 4.2 rpg) have also posted more than 20 rebounds this season.

• DOUBLING UP: Kelly posted a 21-point, 12-rebound double-double performance against Hamline last Saturday. It was her first double-double of the season.

• GOING DEEP: The Oles have drained 35 3-pointers through five games, led by Lewis with 11. Lewis is 11-for-22 (50.0 percent) from beyond the arc this season.

• LENDING A HAND: Cassie Fix has dished out a team-leading 16 assists. She is one of three Oles who have recorded 10 or more helpers through five games — Lewis (14) and Kelly (10) are the other two.

• AS A TEAM: The Oles are shooting 43.2 percent from the field (120-for-278) with 35 3-pointers, while going 53-for-91 (58.2 percent) from the free throw line. St. Olaf is averaging 65.6 ppg, with their opponents scoring at a 63.4 ppg clip. … St. Olaf has scored 80 or more points in both of its wins this season — netting 84 in beating Crown (84-39) and pouring in a season-high 86 in dropping Macalester (86-67). On the flip side, the Oles were held to a season-low 39 points in last Saturday’s 69-39 loss to Hamline.