SAINT MARY’S CARDINALS

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2023-24: 3-9 MIAC, 4-13 Overall

HAMLINE PIPERS

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2023-24: 9-3 MIAC, 11-6 Overall

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SMU-HAMLINE * LAST MEETING:

Nov. 21, 2023 * Winona, MN

L, 81-75 * Series History

SAINT MARY’S * LAST ACTION:

Jan. 20, 2024 * Winona, MN

St. Olaf * W. 74-72

HAMLINE * LAST ACTION:

Jan. 20, 2024 * St. Paul, MN

Saint John’s * W, 74-73

SAINT MARY’S * UP NEXT:

Jan. 27, 2024 * Winona, MN

Bethel * 3 p.m.

HAMLINE * UP NEXT: 

Jan. 27, 2024 * St. Paul, MN

Concordia * 3 p.m.

SAINT MARY’S SCOUTING REPORT:

• FOR THE RECORD: The Cardinals enter their conference matchup at Hamline sitting at 4-13 overall, while owning a 3-9 mark in conference play.

• LAST TIME OUT: Jabari Sawyer (Chicago, Ill.) delivered the game-winning field goal with 0.3 seconds remaining in regulation, breaking a 72-72 deadlock and lifting the Cardinals’ to a streak-snapping 74-72 MIAC win at the SMU Gym last Saturday.

• HOME SWEET HOME: Saturday’s game against St. Olaf was the third straight home game for the Cardinals, who will play three of their next four contests on the road — the lone exception, this Saturday’s home showdown against Bethel. … Saint Mary’s is currently 3-7 on its home court, while sporting a 1-6 record away from the Saint Mary’s Gym..

• STREAK-SNAPPERS: The Cardinals’ thrilling 74-72, last-second win over St. Olaf put an end to their three-game losing streak. … SMU’s 83-56 victory over Macalester on Jan. 6 also snapped a three-game SMU losing streak, while the Cardinals’ 12-point, 92-80 win over St. Scholastica on Dec. 6 snapped their season-high four-game losing streak. … SMU’s win against the Saints 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 Hamline boasting two players who are averaging in double figures in scoring. Cameron Mallory (Joliet, Ill.) leads the way for SMU, owning a 16.9 ppg average, while Breyton Buysman (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.) is close behind at 14.6 ppg. Owen Ziegler (Mount Horeb, Wis.) and Jabari Sawyer (Chicago, Ill.) are both percentage points away from averaging in double figures, sitting at 9.3 and 9.2 ppg, respectively. … Mallory or Buysman has led or shared the team lead in scoring in 14 of SMU’s 17 games.

• HITTING DOUBLE FIGURES: Mallory has scored in double figures in 14 of SMU’s 17 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 13 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 12 times this season — including a 20-point effort by Mallory against St. Olaf last Saturday. Mallory has reached the 20-point mark eight times this season, 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 Jan. 17. … 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 17 games, led by Lockwood with 93 (5.8 rpg). Buysman owns 83 boards (4.9 rpg), followed by Mallory (75, 4.4 rpg), Sawyer (62, 3.6 rpg), and Moore (55, 3.2 rpg). … Lockwood pulled down a season- and career-high 12 rebounds against Saint John’s on Jan. 17. Buysman matched his career-high nine rebounds against St. Olaf last Saturday, while Mallory and Moore have both 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 Jan. 17, 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 114 of 342 3-point attempts this season (33.3 %) — including a season-high 12 treys against UW-River Falls on Nov. 18. … Ziegler leads the team with 43 3s, followed by Buysman with 20, Mallory with 17, Khai Branham (Bemidji, Minn.) with 13, and Sawyer with 10. … 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 172 3-pointers during his four-year career.

• LENDING A HAND: Sawyer and Ziegler lead the way for SMU with 52 and 50 assists, respectively. Buysman (28), Mallory (22), Moore (16), 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 44.7 percent from the field (457-for-1022), with 114 3-pointers, and are 144 of 209 (68.9 %) from the free throw line. … SMU is averaging 68.9 ppg, with its opponents scoring at a 77.6 ppg clip. … Saint Mary’s has scored 70 or more points eight 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.

HAMLINE SCOUTING REPORT:

• FOR THE RECORD: The Pipers head into their mid-week home showdown against Saint Mary’s sitting at 11-6 overall, including sporting a 9-3 mark through the first 12 games of their conference slate.

• LAST TIME OUT: Bradley Cimperman knocked down a pair of free throws with two seconds remaining in regulation at Hutton Arena, as the Pipers handed Saint John’s its first conference loss of the season, beating the Johnnies 74-73 last Saturday in a game pitting the top two teams in the MIAC standings.

• HOME SWEET HOME: Wednesday’s game against Saint Mary’s is the second of three straight home games for the Pipers, who knocked off first-place Saint John’s 74-73 last Saturday — and will host Concordia this upcoming Saturday…. Hamline is an impressive 7-1 on its home floor, while managing just four wins in nine games away from Hutton Arena.

• STREAKING: Hamline’s 74-73 win over Saint John’s last Saturday extending the Pipers’ winning streak to a season-high five games. The Pipers have rattled off wins over Augsburg (70-49), St. Scholastica (77-68), Gustavus (84-77), Macalester (89-74), and Bethel (74-61) prior to their thrilling one-point win over Saint John’s last Saturday.

• CARRYING THE OFFENSIVE LOAD: The Pipers enter their mid-week showdown with Saint Mary’s boasting a pair of players who are averaging in double figures. Bradley Cimperman leads the way, owning a 15.9 ppg scoring average, followed closely by Austin Holt (14.4 ppg), while Mick Wherley is percentage points away from averaging in double digits (9.2 ppg). … Cimperman has netted 10 or more points 11 times this season. The junior has reached 20 points five times — including 30 points in HU’s first meeting against Saint Mary’s on Nov. 21, and a season-high 34 against UW-River Falls on Dec. 16. … Cimperman owns the team’s top four single-game outputs (25, 29, 30, and 36).

• CLEANING THE GLASS: Holt owns a team-best 158 rebounds (9.9 rpg) — nearly 100 boards more than his nearest teammate, Wherley, who has 63 rebounds (4.5 rpg). … Holt has recorded 10+ rebounds 10 times this season — with eight resulting in double-doubles. … Holt has pulled down a season-high 13 rebounds twice — against UW-River Falls on Dec. 16 and vs. Saint John’s last Saturday.

• FROM BEYOND THE ARC: The Pipers have drained 112 3-pointers — one more than their opponents — and has four players who have reached double figures in 3s this season. Sam Hoffman leads the way for the HU long-range bombers with 22 3-pointers, followed by Cimperman and Sam Bradley with 18 and Wherley with 11. … Cimperman and Bradley have both drained a single-game season-high five 3-pointers this season.

• LENDING A HAND: Hamline boasts four players who have delivered at least 10 assists through 16 games, led by Holt with 61. Daniel McCarrell is second on the team with 32, followed by Brendan Ebel (29) and Wherley (22). … Holt has dished out a single-game, season-high eight assists twice — vs. Centre on Dec. 30 and against Gustavus on Jan. 13.

• CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS:As a team, Hamline is shooting 46.1 percent from the field (445-for-965, with 112 3-pointers, and has hit on 238 of 334 free throws (71.3 %). … The Pipers are averaging 72.9 ppg, with their opponents scoring at a 68.4 ppg clip. … Hamline has reached the 80 point mark four times this season — scoring 82 in an 82-75 win over UW-River Falls, 84 in an 84-77 win over Gustavus, and a season-high 89 in an 89-74 win over Macalester. On the flip side, HU has surrendered 80+ points three times — falling to Saint John’s (80-60, Wilkes (81-76) and Carleton (81-69). …