WINONA, Minn. — It was a game filled with offensive runs when the Saint Mary's University women's basketball team squared off against St. Thomas Sunday afternoon.
 
Unfortunately for the Cardinals, the Tommies' runs proved to be more extensive, as UST ran away from the Saint Mary's Gym with an 80-51 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference win.
 
The "running" theme for the day took hold from the opening tip, as the Cardinals scored the game's first five points — getting a field goal from Bron Paulson (Holmen, Wis.) and a 3-pointer by Claire Patterson (Marine, Minn.) — only to have St. Thomas rattle off nine unanswered points for a 9-5 lead.
 
Saint Mary's would respond with its second 5-0 run of the quarter and outscored UST 4-2 down the stretch for a 14-13 lead after the game's opening 10 minutes.
 
The Cardinals would build their lead to as many as four, 19-15 on a Paulson 3-pointer, but the Tommies saved their best run of the half for last, scoring 10 consecutive points as part of a 10-2 half-ending run over the final 3:50 to take a 35-28 lead into the locker room at the break.
 
Saint Mary's got as close as five three times early in the third quarter, but St. Thomas would outscore the Cardinals 23-12 in the quarter — including a 9-0 burst that sparked the Tommies to a 58-40 advantage heading into the game's final 10-minute stanza.
 
The Tommies continued to pull away to open the four quarter, outscoring Saint Mary's 17-7 through the first 6:15 to push their lead to 75-47 – and the Cardinals never recovered.
 
Patterson and Paulson each finished with 12 points to pace the Cardinals, who shot 27.0 percent from the field (17-for-63) with three 3-pointers, while going 14 of 25 from the free throw line. UST, meanwhile, got 16 points from Brynne Rolland and 10 from Katelyn Stanley, while 12 of the 13 Tommies who saw the court netted at least two points.
 
The Cardinals (0-2 MIAC, 1-2 overall) are back in action — and back on their home court — on Wednesday, entertaining Gustavus in a 7 p.m. conference matchup at the Saint Mary's Gym.