SAINT MARY’S CARDINALS

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2023-24: 0-3 Overall

UW-RIVER FALLS FALCONS

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2023-24: 1-2 Overall

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SMU-UWRF * LAST MEETING:

Feb. 3, 1975 * Winona, MN

W, 112-85 * Series History

SAINT MARY’S * LAST ACTION:

Nov. 15, 2023 * Winona, MN

Crown * L, 81-64

UW-RUVER FALLS * LAST ACTION:

Nov. 15, 2023 * River Falls, MN

Gustavus * W, 62-60

SAINT MARY’S * UP NEXT:

Nov. 21, 2023 * Winona, MN

Hamline * 7 p.m.

UW-RIVER FALLS * UP NEXT: 

Nov. 21, 2023 * River Falls, MN

Northwestern * 7 p.m.

SAINT MARY’S SCOUTING REPORT:

• FOR THE RECORD: The Cardinals head into Saturday’s home showdown against UW-River Falls sitting at 0-3 overall, having dropped games to UW-Platteville, UW-Whitewater, and Crown to open the season.

• LAST TIME OUT: Crown held the Cardinals to just 29 first-half points, opening a 16-point halftime lead, and the Cardinals never recovered, falling to the Polars 81-64 in a nonconference game Wednesday at the Saint Mary’s Gym.

• HOME SWEET HOME: After back-to-back road games to open the season, Saturday’s game against UW-River Falls is the second of three straight home contests for the Cardinals. … Saint Mary’s closed out last season 10-3 on their home court, while going 6-7 in 13 road contests.

• FACING THE NATION’S BEST: Saint Mary’s has already faced two teams that received recognition in the D3hoops.com Preseason Poll. UW-Platteville received votes in the opening poll, while UW-Whitewater — an NCAA Division III Final Four participant last season — was ranked No. 2. … SMU’s six-point win over No. 7 UW-La Crosse a year ago marked the first time in program history the Cardinals had beaten a team ranked in the Top 10 in the country. The win also snapped a six-game losing streak against the Eagles — dating back to a 65-50 triumph on Nov. 24, 1986.

• CARRYING THE OFFENSIVE LOAD: Cameron Mallory (Joliet, Ill.) heads into Saturday’s home nonconference matchup against UW-River Falls averaging a team-best 16.0 ppg — having scored in double figures in all three of Saint Mary’s games this season. … Breyton Buysman (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.) and Jabari Sawyer (Chicago, Ill.) are also averaging in double figures through the season’s first three games, sitting at 14.0 ppg and 10.0 ppg, respectively. … Mallory netted a career-high 20 points against UW-Platteville on Nov. 10.. … Buysman and Owen Ziegler (Mount Horeb, Wis.) finished the 2022-23 season averaging in double figures at 12.7 ppg and 12.5 ppg, respectively.

• GREATER THAN 20: With Mallory’s 20-point effort against UW-Platteville on Nov. 10, Saint Mary’s has now had a player score 20 or more points in 21 of its last 28 games.

• CAREER SCORING NIGHTS: Mallory’s 20-point showing against UW-Platteville on Nov. 10 was a career high. … Saint Mary’s boasted six players who recorded single-game career-highs of 10 or more points last season.

• HITTING DOUBLE DIGITS: The Cardinals have put three players in double figures in two of the team’s first three games. Mallory (20), Buysman (17), and Khai Branham (10) all hit double figures against UW-Platteville on Nov. 10, and Mallory (17), Buysman (17), and Sawyer (10) delivered 10+ points against Crown on Wednesday. … Saint Mary’s put at least three players in double figures in 19 of its 26 games a year ago – including four double-figure scorers in the same game eight times.

• ON THE GLASS: Buysman is the team’s rebounding leader through the first three games of the season, hauling in 19 boards — including 16 on the defensive end. Sawyer is second on the team with 11 rebounds, with Bruce Lockwood (Shakopee, Minn.) third with h11. … Lockwood finished second on the team with 115 rebounds (4.6 rpg) a year ago, and posted a career-high 11 rebounds against St. Scholastica on Feb. 4, 2023.

• GOING DEEP: Saint Mary’s, which knocked down 242 3-pointers and led the nation in 3-point FG percentage (46.2 %), has made 15 of 47 3-point attempts this season (31.9 %). … Branham and Buysman lead the team with four treys each, followed by Mallory, Sawyer, and Bailey McDonald (Minneapolis, Minn.) with two each. … SMU equaled the program’s single-game record with 14 3-pointers against Finlandia on Jan. 2, 2023. … Ziegler went 3-for-5 from behind the 3-point line against Augsburg on Feb. 8, 2023 to break the single-season record of 71, held by Donald Jordan during the 1994-95 season. … Ziegler — who led the team with a single-season program-record 86 treys last season — netted a school record eight 3-pointers for the second straight game against Carleton on Dec. 3, going 8-for-14 from beyond the arc. He was 8-for-13 in first setting the school record against St. Olaf on Nov. 30.

• LENDING A HAND: Ziegler owns a team-leading 10 of the Cardinals’ 37 assists through three games, while Sawyer is second with nine. Mallory and Buysman are sitting tied for third with five helpers each. … The Cardinals recorded a season-high 19 assists in their first meeting against Gustavus last season. SMU’s 19-assist effort was the most in a game since the Cardinals dished out 20 helpers against Augsburg on Feb. 2, 2021

• CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS: The Cardinals are shooting 45.8 percent from the field (76-for-166), but are just 15 of 47 (31.9 %) from behind the 3-point line. … The Cardinals are 21-for-30 (70.0 %) from the free throw line. … SMU is averaging 62.7 ppg, with its opponents scoring at an 81.0 ppg clip. … Saint Mary’s, which netted a season-high 71 points against UW-Platteville on Nov. 10, scored 80 or more points in a game 10 times last season, including a season-high 102 against Finlandia on Jan. 2.

UW-RIVER FALLS SCOUTING REPORT:

• FOR THE RECORD: The Falcons head into their third road game of the season Saturday at Saint Mary’s sitting at 1-2 overall, having picked up their first win of the year in their home-opener against Gustavus on Wednesday.

• LAST TIME OUT: Zac Johnson gave UW-River Falls a two-point lead with 30 seconds remaining, and Gustavus missed a pair of late free throws that would have sent the game into overtime, as the Falcons knocked off the Gusties 62-60 on Wednesday in River Falls, Wis.

• ROAD WARRIORS: The Falcons are in the midst of playing three of their first four games this season on the road, the lone exception — Wednesday’s 62-60 win over Gustavus. … UWRF finished the 2022-23 season 5-6 in 11 home contests, while sitting at 6-9 away from Don Page Arena. 

• CLOSE CALLS: UW-River Falls’ first three games of the season have all been decided by five points or less — UWRF dropped a 57-56 decision to Concordia on Nov. 10 and fell to UW-Superior 75-70 the following day, before etching its first win of the season with Wednesday’s 62-60 win over Gustavus.

• AGAINST THE MIAC: Saturday’s game at Saint Mary’s is the third of five games against teams from the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The Falcons have already faced Concordia (L, 57-56) and Gustavus (W, 62-60), and still have St. Olaf (Dec. 12) and Hamline (Dec. 16) on their schedule.

• CARRYING THE OFFENSIVE LOAD: UW-River Falls heads into Saturday’s matchup at Saint Mary’s boasting two players who are averaging in double figures in scoring — Johnson (16.3 ppg) and Jack Leifker (10.3 ppg). Jacob Butler and Logan Jedwabny are third and fourth on the team in scoring, sitting at 9.7 ppg and 8.7 ppg, respectively. … Johnson netted a season-high 27 points against Concordia on Nov. 10 and added a 14-point effort against UW-Superior the following day, before being held to eight points against Gustavus on Wednesday.

• GREATER THAN 20: UW-River Falls has had a 20-point scorer in two of its three games this season. Johnson netted 20 points against Concordia on Nov. 10, and Butler poured in a season-best 22-point showing against Gustavus on Wednesday.

• CLEANING THE GLASS: The Falcons have five players who have reached double figures in rebounds, led by Leifker, who has hauled in 25 boards in three games (8.3 rpg). Garret Honstrom (16, 5.3 rpg), Butler (15, 5.0 rpg), Johnson (14, 4.7 rpg), and Marshall Holland (11, 3.7 rpg). … 

• FROM BEYOND THE ARC: UW-River Falls owns 20 3-pointers through three games, with Johnson (7), Jedwabny (5), and Butler (4) accounting for 16 of the 20 treys. … As a team, the Falcons are shooting 28.6 percent (20-for-70) from beyond the arc. 

• LENDING A HAND: Will Van Scoy owns a team-leading seven assists, two more than Johnson. … The Falcons, who had dished out 28 assists in three games, have gotten at least one helper from 12 different players.

• CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS:UW-River Falls is shooting 41.7 percent from the field (75-for-180), including 20-for-62 (32.3 %) from behind the 3-point line, while hitting 18 of 27 (66.7 %) from the free throw line. … The Falcons are averaging 62.7 ppg, with their opponents netting 64.0 ppg. … UW-River Falls scored a season-high 70 points in a 75-70 loss to UW-Superior on Nov. 11, and also added season-highs in FGM (27), 3GM (10), 3FGA (28), rebounds (44), and assists (14) against the Yellowjackets. … On the flip side, UWRF also surrendered a season-high 75 points against UW-Superior on Nov. 11.