WINONA, Minn. — Macalester learned first-hand that a comfortable lead is never too comfortable — especially when its opponent is the Saint Mary's University women's basketball team.
 
The Cardinals recovered from a 12-point, first-quarter deficit and rode the stellar play of senior guard Brooklyn Paulson (Holmen, Wis.) to a 73-65 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference victory over the Scots at the Saint Mary's Gym on Wednesday.
 
The Scots jumped out in front early, taking a daunting 14-2 lead midway through the first quarter. The Cardinals, however, clawed their way back, closing the gap to an eight-point deficit, 20-12, to end the quarter.
 
The Cardinals' offense really came to life in the second quarter, as they rattled off 12 unanswered points — capped by a Paulson 3-pointer to give SMU's first lead at 22-20 with 6:40 to play until halftime.
 
SMU would push its lead to five, 29-24, only to have Macalester close out the half on a 11-2 run — capped by a Caitlin Panos 3-pointer at the buzzer — to take a 35-31 lead into the break.
 
Three lead changes in the first five minutes of the third quarter made for a tight battle — one that the Cardinals would win, as they took the lead for good with 4:28 left in the quarter. SMU closed out the stanza leading by nine, 54-45..
 
And the Cardinals weren't finished, snagging their biggest lead of the night, a 12-point, 63-51 advantage — with the help of a 3-pointer from Izzy Goettelman (Winona, Minn.) — and Saint Mary's maintained complete control down the stretch to seal the win.
 
Paulson recorded her second double-double of the season, scoring 23 points and a career-high 15 rebounds. The senior went 2-for-2 from the free throw line and has now gone 17-for-17 from the charity stripe in SMU's last three games. Katelyn Cruze (Litchfield, Minn.) also scored in double figures for Saint Mary's, netting 12 points, including a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line.
 
Saint Mary's shot 26-64 from the field (40.6%), with six 3-pointers, and went 15 of 20 from the free throw line. 
 
The Cardinals (4-8 MIAC, 5-10 overall) will return to the Saint Mary's Gym on Saturday, when they host Concordia in a 3 p.m. MIAC contest.
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