SAINT MARY’S CARDINALS

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2023-24: 2-8 Overall

ELMHURST BLUEJAYS

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2023-24: 6-6 Overall

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SMU-ELM * LAST MEETING:

Nov. 22, 2011 * Elmhurst, IL

L, 63-58 * Series History

SAINT MARY’S * LAST ACTION:

Dec. 13, 2023 * Winona, MN

UW-La Crosse * L, 79-41

ELMHURST * LAST ACTION:

Dec. 20, 2023 * Elmhurst, IL

Alverno * W, 81-56

SAINT MARY’S * UP NEXT:

Jan. 3, 2024 * Minneapolis, MN

Augsburg * 7 p.m.

ELMHURST * UP NEXT: 

Jan. 3, 2024 * Elmhurst, IL

Augustana (IL) * 5 p.m.

SAINT MARY’S SCOUTING REPORT:

• FOR THE RECORD: The Cardinals head into their nonconference home matchup against Elmhurst sitting at 2-8 overall, including 0-7 in conference play.

• LAST TIME OUT: Grace Schaffer (Farmington, Minn.) scored a team-high 13 points, but the Cardinals could not overcome a slow start in dropping a 79-41 decision to UW-La Crosse on Dec. 13 at the SMU Gym.

• HOME SWEET HOME: After three home contests in a four-game stretch prior to the holiday break, Friday’s game at Elmhurst is the first of back-to-back road contests for the Cardinals. … Saint Mary’s is 2-4 on its home court this season, while still searching for their first win (0-4) away from the Saint Mary’s Gym.

• CARRYING THE OFFENSIVE LOAD: Izzy Goettelman (Winona, Minn.) and Schaffer head into the Cardinals’ nonconference matchup against Elmhurst both averaging in double figures in scoring. Goettelman is sitting at 11.4 ppg, while Schaffer sports a 10.6 ppg scoring average. … Schaffer has led the team in scoring in four of their last five games.

• GREATER THAN 20: With Schaffer’s 23-point effort against St. Olaf on Dec. 2 and Goettelman’s 20-point performance against Martin Luther on Nov. 11, Saint Mary’s has now had a player score 20 or more points in a game 12 times over the past two seasons. … Goettelman has netted 20+ points four times in her collegiate career.

• CAREER SCORING HIGHS: Saint Mary’s has had five players record career scoring highs of 10 or more points in a game this season. Schaffer delivered a career-best 23 points against St. Olaf on Dec. 2, Wall poured in a career-best 12 against Bethel on Dec. 9, Lindsey Lettner (Trempealeau, Wis.) and Passehl each tallied career-highs with 12 points against Saint Benedict on Nov. 29, and Riley Schiernbeck’s (Ida Grove, Iowa) 11-point effort against Northland on Nov. 14 was also a career high. … The Cardinals had six players record career-highs of 10 or more points last season — including returners Goettelman (23 points), Alyssa Coleman (Matteson, Ill. / 17), Katelyn Cruze (Litchfield, Minn. / 14), and Schaffer (11).

• SPREADING THE WEALTH: The Cardinals got scoring from 12 different players in their 78-30 win over Northland on Nov. 14. … SMU finished 2022-23 with two games in which 10 or more players scored. SMU received at least three points from 10 of the 11 players who took the court against Carleton on Dec. 3, and got scoring from 12 different players in their 83-69 win over St. Scholastica on Feb. 4.

• CLEANING THE GLASS: Cruze leads the team with 40 rebounds (4.9 rpg) and is one of four players with 40+ boards through 10 games. Goettelman (47, 5.9 rpg) and Schaffer (47, 4.7 rpg) are tied for second in rebounds, followed by Schiernbeck with 45. … Goettelman recorded a career-high 13 rebounds against Martin Luther on Nov. 11, while Schaffer pulled down a career-best 10 boards against Concordia on Dec. 4. … SMU had a player record 10 or more rebounds in a game 10 times a year ago — including five times by Cruze.

• DOUBLING UP: Schaffer picked up her first collegiate double-double with her 15-point, 10-rebound showing against Concordia on Dec. 4. She is the second SMU player with her first collegiate double-double this season, being joined by Goettelman, who tallied 20 points and 13 boards against Martin Luther on Nov. 11. 

• FROM BEYOND THE ARC: Saint Mary’s has knocked down 49 3-pointers through 10 games, with Passehl leading the way with 11, three more than Schaffer, and five up on Goettelman, Maddie Wall (Cameron, Wis.), Zoe Fink (Stevens Point, Wis.). and Maggie Newhouse (Owatonna, Minn.). … SMU poured in a single-game season-high eight 3-pointers against Saint Benedict on Nov. 29. … The Cardinals drained 172 3-pointers a year ago, and netted a season-high 13 3-pointers against St. Olaf on Feb. 1, 2023, shooting 59.1 percent (13-for-22) from behind the arc. … SMU’s 13 3-pointers were just two shy of the single-game program record of 15, set against Concordia on Feb. 12, 2022.

• LENDING A HAND: SMU boasts five players who have reached double figures in assists, led by Fink with 14. Schaffer is second with 13, followed by Lettner (12), Wall (11), and Passehl (10). … Fink delivered a single-game, season-high five assists against Northland on Nov. Nov. 14. … As a team, Saint Mary’s has dished out 83 helpers, with 10 different players recording at least one assist.

• STEALING THE SHOW: Lettner leads six Cardinals who have amassed 10+ steals through 10 games with 14 steals. Wall is second with 13, with Schaffer, Passehl, and Goettelman all posting 12, and Schiernbeck chipping in 11.

• NOT-SO-CLOSE CALL: The Cardinals 48-point, 78-30 win over Northland on Nov. 14 was their most-lopsided victory since a 54-point, 88-34 win over Crown on Nov. 21, 2015. … Northland’s 30 points scored on Nov. 14 were the fewest allowed by the Cardinals since holding Crown to 29 in a 107-29 victory on Nov. 23, 2013, while the LumberJills’ six-point second and third quarters were the fewest points allowed by SMU since the NCAA went back to the quarter system prior to the 2015-16 season.

• PROGRAM FIRST: SMU’s Nov. 14 game against Northland was the first between the two teams in program history. It’s the third time in the last two seasons Saint Mary’s has faced an opponent for the first time. The Cardinals’ games against Penn State Behrend and Massachusetts Institute of Technology at last season’s Music City Classic marked the first time in program history that the teams had met on the basketball court. SMU fell to Penn State Behrend 71-65, while knocking off MIT 60-53.

• CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS:The Cardinals are shooting 32.8 percent from the field (196-for-598), with 49 3-pointers, and have drained 109 of 168 free throws (64.9 %). … SMU is averaging 55.0 ppg, while its first 10 opponents are scoring at 66.0 ppg clip. … Saint Mary’s 78 points against Northland on Nov. 14 were a season-high. … The Cardinals eclipsed the 80-point twice last season — netting 81 in an 81-67 win over Carleton on Dec. 3, 2022, while tallying a season-best 83 points in beating St. Scholastica 83-69 on Feb. 4, 2023.

ELMHURST SCOUTING REPORT:

• FOR THE RECORD: The Bluejays head into Friday’s nonconference showdown against Saint Mary’s sitting at 6-6 overall, including sporting a 1-3 record through the first four games of the CCIW schedule

• LAST TIME OUT: Elmhurst scored 20 or more points in each of the first three quarters — including outscoring Alverno 21-4 in the third frame — en route to an 81-55 nonconference victory in Elmhurst, Ill.

• HOME SWEET HOME: Friday’s nonconference game against Saint Mary’s is the third of five consecutive home games for the Bluejays, who follow up their matchup with the Cardinals with home games against Augustana (Ill.) on Jan. 3 and vs. North Central (Ill.) on Jan. 6, before finally hitting the road on Jan. 10 at Carroll. … Elmhurst is 2-2 on its home court, while sitting at 4-4 away from R.A. Faganel Hall on Dec. 20.

• ON A ROLL: With their 81-55 win over Alverno on Dec. 20, the Bluejays have now won back-to-back games for the second time this season. Elmhurst, which snapped a three-game losing streak with its 73-59 win over Lawrence on Dec. 17, also won two straight with wins over Rockford (90-42) and Rockford (72-61) on Nov. 21 and Nov. 25, respectively. 

• CARRYING THE OFFENSIVE LOAD: Shanyce Makuel heads into Friday’s matchup against Saint Mary’s averaging a team-leading 14.7 ppg. She is the only Bluejay averaging in double figures through 12 games. … Kristin Bukata is second on the squad in scoring, averaging 9.2 ppg, followed by Anna Kleszynski (8.7 ppg) and Nariyah Smith (7.9 ppg). … Makuel has scored 10 or more points in nine of the team’s 12 games — including 20+ points five times. … Makuel netted a season-high 26 points against Benedictine (Ill.) on Nov. 11. … Elmhurst has had five different players lead them in scoring this season.

• CLEANING THE GLASS: Along with her team-leading 14.7 ppg scoring average, Makuel also leads the team in rebounds with 86 (7.2 rpg). Makuel is one of three players who have hauled in more than 50 rebounds this season — joined by Bukata (53, 4.4 rpg) and Smith (53, 4.8 rpg). … Makuel has recorded a season-high 11 rebounds in a game twice — vs. Alma on Nov. 15 and against Lawrence on Dec. 17. 

• FROM BEYOND THE ARC: Elmhurst has drained 71 3-pointers in 12 games and boasts three players who have knocked down 10 or more 3s. Kleszynski leads the Bluejays with 20 3-pointers, followed by Lindsay Novak with 16 and Kristen Lopez with 10. … Kleszynski and Novak have each drained a single-game season-high five 3-pointers this season — Kleszynski vs. Benedictine (Ill.) on Nov. 11 and Novak vs. Alverno on Dec. 20.

• LENDING A HAND: Elmhurst has amassed 142 assists this season, led by Bukata with 39. Makuel has dished out 24 helpers, with Tyreshia Sessions and Rowan Cusack each chipping in 16. … The Bluejays have gotten at least one assist from 16 of the 17 players who have seen court time this season.

• CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS:As a team, Elmhurst is shooting 35.4 percent from the field (308-for-869), and are 71 of 342 (20.8 %) from behind the 3-point line. The Bluejays are also hitting on 58.7 % (152-for-259) from the free throw line. … The Bluejays are averaging 69.9 ppg, while their opponents are also scoring at a 69.2 ppg clip. … Elmhurst has scored 70 or more points in nine of its 12 games, including a season-high 90-point showing in drubbing Dominican (Ill.) 90-42 on Nov. 21. On the flip side, the Bluejays have given up 80+ points in a game five times. Elmhurst surrendered a season-high 101 points in falling to Illinois Wesleyan 101-71 on Nov. 29.