Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Athletics

WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University women's basketball team kicked off its 2023-24 season in victorious fashion Saturday evening — but it wasn't easy.
 
Not by a long shot.
 
The Cardinals raced out to a 17-10 lead over the game's opening 10 minutes, and never relinquished the advantage, holding off Martin Luther down the stretch in posting a 61-56 nonconference victory Saturday evening at the Saint Mary's Gym.
 
Saint Mary's appeared to be in complete control after the game's opening 10 minutes, having built leads as big as 10, before settling for a seven-point, 17-10 advantage. Martin Luther opened the second quarter on a 10-1 run to cut the deficit to one, 18-17, but SMU rattled off 10 of the next 12 points to build its lead back to nine, 28-19. MLC netted the field two field goals of the half, leaving Saint Mary's with a 28-23 edge at the halftime intermission.
 
As was the case in the first quarter, Saint Mary's controlled the early part of the third stanza, extending its lead to a game-high 11, 43-32 midway through the quarter, only to have MLC close the period one a 12-6 burst to whittle the Cardinal lead to five, 49-44.
 
The Knights got within four, 54-50 with three minutes to play in regulation, but that was as close as they would get, as Izzy Goettelman (Winona, Minn.) knocked down four key free throws down the stretch to ice the victory.
 
Goettelman was the offensive sparkplug for the Cardinals, scoring 20 points — just three shy of her career high — while adding a career-best 13 rebounds for her second collegiate double-double. Grace Schaffer (Farmington, Minn.) and Katelyn Cruze (Litchfield, Minn.) each chipped in nine points and Cruze delivered 10 boards.
 
As a team, Saint Mary's shot 26.0 percent from the field (20-for-77) with four 3-pointers, and finished 17 of 26 from the free throw line. Martin Luther, which was led by Emma Nelson's 16 points, went 17 of 63 from the field (23.0 %) with four 3-pointers, and was 18-for-24 from the charity stripe.
 
The Cardinals (1-0 overall) are back in action — and back on their home court — on Tuesday, when they welcome Northland to the Saint Mary's Gym for a 7 p.m. nonconference matchup.
  Read Full Article