SAINT MARY'S CARDINALS 

(3-9 MIAC, 4-11 OVERALL)

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MACALESTER SCOTS

(5-7 MIAC, 7-8 OVERALL)

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EARLIER THIS YEAR:

Nov. 20, 2021

W, 63-58 * Series History

SAINT MARY'S LAST ACTION:

Jan. 19, 2022 * St. Ben’s * L, 69-53

MACALESTER LAST ACTION:

Jan. 19, 2021 * St. Olaf * L, 72-60

SAINT MARY'S UP NEXT:

Jan. 26, 2021 * Hamline

St. Paul, Minn. * 7:00

MACALESTER UP NEXT: 

Jan. 26, 2022 * Concordia

St. Paul, Minn. * 7:00

• FOR THE RECORD: The Cardinals head into their conference matchup against Macalester sitting at 4-11 on the season, while sporting a 3-9 mark in conference play.

• LAST TIME OUT: Saint Benedict poured in 11 3-pointers — including nine in the second half — as the Bennies turned a five-point halftime lead into a 16-point, 69-53, victory over the Cardinals Wednesday at the Saint Mary's Gym.

• HOME COOKING: Saturday’s game against Macalester is the fifth home game in the last six contests for the Cardinals, who are in the midst of playing seven of nine contests on their home court.

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

• LEADING THE CHARGE: Brooklyn Paulson (Holmen) — who netted a team-best 19 points in Wednesday's loss to Saint Benedict — enters Saturday’s showdown with Macalester leading the team — and the conference — in scoring with a 17.8 ppg average. Jada Biermeier (Eau Claire, Wis.) — who posted 16 points against Saint Benedict Wednesday — is sitting second on the team with a 9.1 ppg average, followed by Ashley Streveler (Colby, Wis. / 7.7 ppg) and Izzy Goettelman (Winona, Minn. / 7.5 ppg). … Paulson has led or shared the team lead in scoring in 14 of the Cardinals’ 15 games — including each of the last 12.

• SEASON-BEST X 3: Paulson’s 20-point showing against Concordia on Saturday marked the fifth time this season the senior has scored 20 or more points in a game. … Paulson scored a team- and game-high 24 points in the Cardinals’ 85-58 win over Carleton on Jan. 8. It marked the third time this season the senior sharp-shooter has recorded 24 points in a game — having also netted 24 against St. Olaf on Dec. 8 and Hamline on Nov. 23.

• DOUBLING UP: Coming off a 15-point, 10-rebound performance against Augsburg on Jan. 10 Paulson put together her second straight double-double — and third of the season —with 14 points and 11 boards against St. Catherine two days later. … Paulson has recorded four double-doubles in her collegiate career.

• CAREER SCORING 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), Streveler (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. … 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.

• HITTING THE BOARDS: Along with her team-leading 17.8 ppg scoring average, Paulson is also the team’s leader in rebounds with 105 (7.0 rpg), followed by Biermeier with 76 (5.1 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.

• BIG BOARD NIGHTS: Paulson had a career night against Hamline on Nov. 23, finishing with 12 rebounds, while Goettelman hauled in a career-best 10 boards against Augsburg on Jan. 10 — missing out on her first collegiate double-double by one point.

• FROM DOWNTOWN: The Cardinals rained in a season-high 12 3-pointers in their 85-58 win over Carleton on Jan. 8. It was the most 3-pointers in a game since netting 12 against Hamline on Jan. 11, 2020, and the third time this season SMU has hit 10 or more treys in a game. … Paulson leads the team with 32 3-pointers, while Streveler is second with 25. Streveler hit five 3-pointers en route to her 15 points against Carleton on Jan. 8.

• 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.

• THREE’S COMPANY: Paulson, Goettelman, and Streveler accounted for 38 of the Cardinals’ 51 points in the Cardinals’ 65-51 loss to Bethel on Dec. 11 — including all 27 SMU points in the first half.

• AS A TEAM: The Cardinals are shooting 34.1 percent from the field (293-for-860), with 99 3-pointers, and are 216 of 298 (72.5 percent) from the free throw line. … SMU is averaging 60.1 ppg, while the Cardinals’ opponents are scoring at a 67.4 ppg clip. … Saint Mary’s finished with a season-high 71 field goal attempts in its 72-63 loss to St. Olaf on Dec. 8.

• BEST 10 MINUTES: The Cardinals’ 34-point second quarter against Carleton on Jan. 8 was its highest single-quarter performance since the NCAA went back to the quarter system prior to the 2015-16 season.

• RAINING IN POINTS: The Cardinals’ 85-point effort in their 85-58 win over Carleton on Jan. 8 were a season-high, and marked the second time this season SMU has netted 80 or more points in a game — having also tallied 80 in beating Martin Luther 80-74 on Nov. 15. … SMU’s 85 points are the most in a game since scoring 85 points an 87-85 overtime loss to Hamline on Jan. 11, 2020.

• 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.

• FOR THE RECORD: The Scots head south to the Saint Mary’s Gym owning a 7-8 overall record, including a 5-7 mark in conference play.

• LAST TIME OUT: St. Olaf outscored the host Scots 24-16 over the game’s final 10 minutes, as the Oles handed Macalester a 72-60 conference setback in St. Paul, Minn.

• IN A RUT: After putting together its second two-game winning streak of the season with victories over St. Catherine and Hamline, the Scots have dropped back-to-back games — falling to Bethel 73-48 and St. Olaf 72-60. … Macalester’s last eight games have consisted of four two-game streaks — two, two-game winning streaks and two, two-game losing streaks.

• RIGHT AT HOME: The Scots are in the midst of playing four of five games on their home floor — the lone exception, Saturday’s matchup at Saint Mary’s. Macalester is 4-4 on its home court, while sporting a 3-4 mark away from Leonard Center Gym.

• LEADERS OF THE PACK: The Scots enter their showdown against Saint Mary’s boasting three players who are averaging in double figures in scoring — Celine Sabbagh (14.7 ppg), Peyton Starks (10.5 ppg), and Solana Cushing (10.1 ppg). … Sabbagh has scored 10 or more points in 14 of the team’s 15 games this season — including three games of 20 or more points. … Sabbagh has netted a season-high 22 points twice — against Gustavus on Dec. 4 and vs. St. Catherine on Jan. 10.

• HITTING THE BOARDS: Emma LaFrenz has been a rebounding machine for the Scots this season, amassing 180 boards (12.0 rpg) — including 10 or more rebounds in a game 11 times. Sabbagh is second on the team with 81 boards (5.4 rpg), two more than Katherine Norquist’s 79 (5.3 rpg). … LaFrenz hauled in a season-high 24 rebounds in Macalester’s 63-52 win over Crown on Dec. 2.

• DOUBLING UP: The Scots have had a player record a double-double nine times this season, led by LaFrenz with five — including a 23-opint, 24-rebound effort against Crown on Dec. 2. Starks has chipped in two double-doubles and Sabbagh owns the other one.

• FROM DOWNTOWN: Solana Cushing and Sabbagh have accounted for 30 of the Scots’ 57 3-pointers this season. Cushing owns a team-leading 18 treys, while Sabbagh has netted 12. Macalester is shooting just 25.7 percent from behind the arc, going 57-for-222.

• LENDING A HAND: Macalester has accumulated 168 assists through 15 games, and boasts seven players with 10 or more helpers. Norquist is the team’s assist leader with 29, followed by Sabbagh (27), LaFrenz (27), and Cushing (26).

• AS A TEAM: Macalester is shooting 39.1 percent from the field (356-for-911) with 57 3-pointers and is 166-for-270 (61.5 percent) from the free throw line. … The Scots are averaging 62.3 ppg, with their opponents scoring at a 62.4 ppg clip. … Macalester has eclipsed the 70-point mark just twice in 15 games this season — both wins. The Scots netted 74 points in beating Northland 74-45 on Nov. 16 and tallied a season-high 75 points in dropping Hamline 75-60 on Jan. 12.