WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University men's basketball team found itself playing the role of the hunter all night in the Cardinals' Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference game against Gustavus.
 
Unfortunately, every time Saint Mary's  got the Gusties in their crosshairs, GAC would find a way to slip away.
 
The Cardinals trimmed a 17-point first-half deficit to three with 12:03 to play in regulation, only to have Gusties escape for a final time, outscoring Saint Mary's 27-17 over those final 12 minutes in dealing SMU an 83-70 setback at the Saint Mary's Gym.
 
After trading baskets for the first five minutes of the opening half – including their lone lead of the half, 7-5, on a Bruce Lockwood (Shakopee, Minn.) layup — the Gusties took control, methodically building their lead to as many as 17, 34-17 on a 3-pointer by Spencer Swanson with 6:40 to play.
 
The Cardinals, however, had an answer, closing the half on a 15-5 run — including netting 10 of final 12 points of the half to whittle the GAC lead to seven, 39-32 at the break.
 
Gustavus pushed its lead back to double figures three times early in the second half, including 49-37 three minutes in. Saint Mary's went to work chipping away, clawing back to within three, 56-53 on a Noah Frechette (Lakeville, Minn.) 3-pointer.
 
But once again the Gusties escaped harm, rattling off eight unanswered points to push their lead back to 11, 64-53, with 9:11 to play. Saint Mary's made one final push, getting as close as seven twice, but the Cardinals would get no closer in falling to 3-4 in conference play.
 
Raheem Anthony (Chicago, Ill.), who did not score his first point until 12 minutes into the opening half, finished with 17 points, while Lockwood and Owen Ziegler (Mount Horeb, Wis.) each chipped in 10 points. Lockwood's 10 points — all scored in the first half — were a career-high.
 
As a team, the Cardinals shot 40.5 percent from the field (30-for74) with five 3-pointers, while going 5 of 9 from the free throw line. Gustavus, meanwhile, got a game-high 27 points from Kaleb Feahn to lead four players in double figures. The Gusties shot 48.5 percent from the field and poured in 12 3-pointers, while going 5-for-11 from the charity stripe.
 
The Cardinals (3-4 MIAC, 5-6 overall) are right back in action — and right back on their home court — on Saturday, as they welcome Carleton to the Saint Mary's Gym for a 3 p.m. MIAC matchup.
 
 
Lockwood — 10 points
Anthony — 0 until 8:12 left in half, 8 points