SAINT MARY’S CARDINALS

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2023-24: 2-9 MIAC, 3-13 Overall

ST. OLAF OLES

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2023-24: 7-4 MIAC, 8-8 Overall

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SMU-ST. OLAF * LAST MEETING:

Dec. 2, 2023 * Northfield, MN

L, 94-84 (ot) * Series History

SAINT MARY’S * LAST ACTION:

Jan. 17, 2023 * Winona, MN

Saint John’s * L, 84-59

ST. OLAF * LAST ACTION:

Jan. 17, 2023 * Northfield, MN

Macalester * W, 73-61

SAINT MARY’S * UP NEXT:

Jan. 24, 2024 * St. Paul, MN

Hamline * 7 p.m.

ST. OLAF * UP NEXT: 

Jan. 24, 2024 * St. Peter, MN

Gustavus * 7 p.m.

SAINT MARY’S SCOUTING REPORT:

• FOR THE RECORD: The Cardinals enter their conference matchup against St. Olaf sitting at 3-13 overall, while owning a 2-9 mark in conference play.

• LAST TIME OUT: Bruce Lockwood (Shakopee, Minn.) recorded his first collegiate double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds, and Cameron Mallory (Joliet, Ill.) added a team-leading 19 points, but the Cardinals could not silence the high-octane Saint John’s offense in falling to the Johnnies 84-59 Wednesday at the SMU Gym.

• HOME SWEET HOME: Saturday’s game against St. Olaf is the third straight home game for the Cardinals, who are in the midst of playing six of seven games on their home floor — the lone exception, an 88-68 loss at Gustavus on Jan. 10. … Saint Mary’s is currently 2-7 on its home court, while sporting a 1-6 record away from the Saint Mary’s Gym..

• STREAK-SNAPPERS: With their lopsided 83-56 win over Macalester last Saturday, SMU put an end to its three-game losing streak. … The Cardinals’ 12-point, 92-80 win over St. Scholastica on Dec. 6 snapped their season-high four-game losing streak. … SMU’s win on Dec. 6 was its fifth straight win against the St. Scholastica and moved the Cardinals to 7-1 against CSS all-time.

• CARRYING THE OFFENSIVE LOAD: The Cardinals head into their matchup against St. Olaf boasting two players who are averaging in double figures in scoring. Mallory leads the way for SMU, owning a 16.8 ppg average, while Breyton Buysman (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.) is close behind at 14.6 ppg. Jabari Sawyer (Chicago, Ill.) and Owen Ziegler (Mount Horeb, Wis.) are both percentage points away from averaging in double figures, both sitting at 8.9 and 9.3 ppg. … Mallory or Buysman has led or shared the team lead in scoring in 13 of SMU’s 16 games.

• HITTING DOUBLE FIGURES: Mallory has scored in double figures in 13 of SMU’s 16 contests. He has set a single-game career high four times this season — netting a then-career-high 20 points against UW-Platteville on Nov. 10, bettering that by three with a 23-point showing against UW-River Falls on Nov. 18. He improved on that mark with 25 points against St. Scholastica on Dec. 6, before delivering his new career-best with 27 points against Macalester on Jan. 6. … Buysman has scored in double figures 12 times this season — including a season-high 24-point effort three times — against Hamline on Nov. 21, vs. St. Scholastica on Dec. 6, and against Bethel on Dec. 9.

• GREATER THAN 20: Saint Mary’s has had a player score 20 or more points in a game 11 times this season. Mallory has accomplished the feat seven times, while Buysman has netted 20+ points four times.

• GREATER THAN 20 x 2: With Mallory’s 25 points and Buysman’s 24 against St. Scholastica on Dec. 6, the Cardinals recorded their second game with two players reaching the 20-point mark in the same game. The duo also achieved the feat against St. Olaf on Dec. 2. … SMU had two 20+ scorers in the same game six times last season — including a program record three players with 20 or more points in the same game against Augsburg on Jan. 16, 2023.

• CAREER SCORING NIGHTS: Saint Mary’s has had a player post a career high of 10 or more points in a game three times this season. Mallory’s 27-point showing against Macalester on Jan. 6 was a career high, while Jemari Moore (Broadview, Ill.) delivered a career-high 14 points against Concordia on Dec. 4 and Bruce Lockwood (Shakopee, Minn.) tallied a career-best 14 against Saint John’s on Wednesday. … Saint Mary’s boasted six players who recorded single-game career-highs of 10 or more points last season.

• SPREADING THE WEALTH: Saint Mary’s put five players in double figures against Saint John’s on Nov. 29 — Mallory (13 points), Sawyer (11), Lockwood (11), Buysman (10), and Moore (10). It was the first time SMU put five players in double figures in the same game since Jan. 15, 2022.

• ON THE GLASS: Saint Mary’s boasts five players with 50 or more rebounds through 16 games, led by Lockwood with 88 (5.9 rpg). Buysman owns 74 boards (4.6 rpg), followed by Mallory (68, 4.3 rpg), Sawyer (61, 3.8 rpg), and Moore (54, 3.4 rpg). … Lockwood pulled down a season- and career-high 12 rebounds against Saint John’s on Wednesday. Mallory, Buysman, and Moore have all posted season-best eight-rebound performances this season. … As a team, Saint Mary’s matched its season high with 36 rebounds against Augsburg last Wednesday. SMU also corralled 36 boards against UW-La Crosse on Dec. 13.

• DOUBLING UP: With his career-highs in points (14) and rebounds (12) against Saint John’s on Wednesday, Lockwood collected his first collegiate double-double. Lockwood’s double-double is the Cardinals’ first of the season.

• FEW FREE POINTS: The Cardinals attempted just two free throws — making both — in their 71-57 loss to Concordia on Dec. 4. It was the fewest FT made in a game since hitting 2 of 4 against St. Olaf on Feb. 9, 2015, while the two FT attempts were the fewest since Feb. 8, 2006, when SMU went 0-for-1 from the line against Hamline. 

• GOING DEEP: Saint Mary’s has made 107 of 326 3-point attempts this season (32.8 %) — including a season-high 12 treys against UW-River Falls on Nov. 18. … Ziegler leads the team with 40 3s, followed by Buysman with 18, Mallory with 16, and Khai Branham (Bemidji, Minn.) with 13. … Ziegler has drained a season-high five 3-pointers in a game three times — vs. St. Olaf on Dec. 2, vs. St. Scholastica four days later, and vs. Carleton last on Jan. 13. … The Cardinals have gotten at least one 3 from nine different players. … SMU’s season-high 12 3-pointers against UW-River Falls on Nov. 18 were just two treys shy of the program’s single-game record of 14, set against Finlandia a year ago.

• ALL-TIME LEADER: With the first of his four 3-pointers against Macalester on Jan. 6, Ziegler became the program’s all-time leader in 3-pointers made. Ziegler has now drained a program-record 169 3-pointers during his four-year career.

• LENDING A HAND: Sawyer and Ziegler lead the way for SMU with 49 and 47 assists, respectively. Buysman (26), Mallory (20), Moore (15), and Lockwood (12) have also reached double figures in helpers. … Sawyer collected a season-high seven assists against St. Olaf on Dec. 2.

• FACING THE NATION’S BEST: Saint Mary’s has 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 then-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.

• CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS: The Cardinals are shooting 44.5 percent from the field (430-for-967), with 107 3-pointers, and are 131 of 192 (68.2 %) from the free throw line. … SMU is averaging 68.6 ppg, with its opponents scoring at a 78.0 ppg clip. … Saint Mary’s has scored 70 or more points seven times — including three games of 80+ points. SMU netted a season-high 92 points against St. Scholastica on Dec. 6. On the flip side, Saint Mary’s has surrendered 80 or more points seven times, including allowing 90+ points on three occasions. … SMU’s 92-point effort in its 92-80 win over St. Scholastica on Dec. 6 were the most since netting a season-high 102 against Finlandia on Jan. 2, 2023.

ST. OLAF SCOUTING REPORT:

• FOR THE RECORD: The Oles head into their Saturday road showdown at Saint Mary’s sitting at 8-8 overall, including a 7-4 mark through the first 11 games of their conference slate.

• LAST TIME OUT: St. Olaf overcame an early 16-point deficit, getting a season-high 25 points from Connor Martin, as the Oles rolled to a 73-61 win over Macalester Wednesday at Skoglund Center in Northfield, Minn.

• HITTING THE ROAD: After posting a pair of home victories, the Oles will play their next two games on the road — Saturday at Saint Mary’s and Wednesday at Gustavus. … The Oles have collected five of their eight wins on their home floor, going 5-3 at Skoglund Center Gym, while sitting at 3-5 on the road.

• COMING IN HOT: With their come-from-behind win over Macalester on Wednesday, St. Olaf extended its winning streak to four straight. The Oles have rattled off conference wins over Concordia (66-58), Bethel (79-72), St. Scholastica (66-58), and Macalester (73-61) during its current four-game run.

• CARRYING THE OFFENSIVE LOAD: The Oles come into town boasting a pair of players who are averaging in double figures in scoring. Martin leads the way with a 17.8 ppg scoring average, just percentage points in front of Kobe Kirk, who is sitting at 17.5 ppg. Addison Metcalf is third on the team, sporting an 8.4 ppg average. … Martin has scored 10 or more points in all 16 games, including six games with 20+ points. … Both Martin and Kirk have posted a single-game season-high 25 points twice this season — with Martin achieving the feat in each of St. Olaf’s last two games. … Martin (9 times) and Kirk (6 times) have led or shared the team lead in 15 of the team’s 16 games this season.

• CLEANING THE GLASS: Brendan Kauls has pulled down a team-leading 90 rebounds (5.6 rpg), with Kirk right on his heels with 87 (5.4 rpg). Martin (55, 3.4 rpg) and Josh Albers (55, 3.4 rpg) have also hauled in more than 50 rebounds this season. … Kirk posted a single-game season-high 16 boards against Macalester on Nov. 29.

• DOUBLING UP: Kirk has collected two of St. Olaf’s four double-doubles this season – netting 23 points and dadding 10 rebounds against Carleton on Dec. 4, while delivering 23 points and a season-high 16 boards against Macalester on Nov. 29. Martin owns a 13-point, 12-rebound double-double against Carleton on Dec. 4, and Kauls delivered a 12-point, 10-rebound showing against Bethel on Jan. 13. 

• FROM BEYOND THE ARC: St. Olaf has knocked down 95 3-pointers this season and has a trio of players who have reached double figures in threes — Metcalf (21), Kirk (18), and Martin (11). … Metcalf poured in a single-game season-high six 3-pointers against Bethel on Jan. 13.

• LENDING A HAND: Martin has been an assist machine for the Oles this season, dishing out 53 helpers in 16 games. Kauls is a distant second with 19 assists, followed by Metcalf (17), Kirk (17), Albers (17), Caleb Greer (15), and Ryan Warren (13).

• CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS:As a team, the Oles are shooting 46.7 percent from the field (430-for-920), with 95 3-pointers, while knocking down 201 of 273 free throws (74.6 %). … St. Olaf is averaging 72.2 ppg, with their opponents scoring at a 75.4 ppg clip. …. St. Olaf has scored 80 or more points five times this season, including a season-high 94 points in its first meeting against Saint Mary’s on Dec. 2. On the flip side, STO has allowed more than 85 points five times, with Gustavus’ 97 points in a 97-59 win over the Oles the most allowed by St. Olaf all season. … The Oles have played two overtime games this season — beating Saint Mary’s 94-84 in their first meeting on Dec. 2, before falling to Carleton 70-66 two days later.