ST. PAUL, Minn. — Allowing extended runs has been the Achilles heel for the Saint Mary's University women's basketball team all season.
 
And it appeared as if the Cardinals would be the beneficiary of such in Saturday's matchup against Macalester.
 
Unfortunately, while the Cardinals' 14-0 run to start the game was good, the Scots' 18-2 burst to close out the quarter was even better.
 
As was their game-ending 16-5 scoring edge.
 fourth quarter.
 
Macalester erased a three-point Saint Mary's lead heading into the final 10 minutes, closing the quarter by scoring 16 of the game's final 21 points in dealing the Cardinals a 67-60 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference setback at the Leonard Center Gym.
 
Saint Mary's did not waste any time taking complete control, scoring the game's first 14 points — including a pair of 3-pointers from Maddie Wall (Cameron, Wis.), a triple by Lindsey Lettner (Trempealeau, Wis.), a field goal and free throw by Katelyn Cruze (Litchfield, Minn.), and a bucket by Kali Olson (New York Mills, Minn.) — to claim a 14-0 lead before the game was even five minutes over.
 
From there, however, the quarter belonged to Peyton Starks and the Scots. Starks poured in nine points to lead Macalester's quarter-ending 18-2 run that transformed that 14-point Cardinal lead into a two-point SMU deficit heading into the second quarter.
 
Macalester picked up right where it left off, scoring the first four points of the second period — both on Starks field goals — to cap its 22-2 run, before SMU got a field goal from Olson to cut the Scots' lead to 22-18 with 6:13 to play. Macalester would outscore the Cardinals 8-6 the rest of the way to take a four-point, 30-26 cushion into the locker room at the half.
 
The Cardinals regained the momentum — and found their shooting touch — in the third quarter, outscoring Macalester 21-14 to grab a three-point, 45-44 lead heading into the game's final 10 minutes.
 
Saint Mary's extended its lead to four, 53-49 on an Olson layup with six minutes to play, only to have the Scots come roaring back, retaking the lead, 55-56, on a Starks three-point play with 4:38 on the clock — and the Cardinals could not recover.
 
Grace Schaffer (Farmington, Minn.) led the way for Saint Mary's, scoring 16 points, while Olson and Cruze each chipped in 11. As a team, the Cardinals shot 43.8 percent from the field (21-for-48), with five 3-pointers, and were 13 of 16 from the free throw line.
 
The Cardinals (0-16 MIAC, 2-19 overall) are right back in action on Monday, when they hit the road for a third straight game, heading to Duluth, Minn., for a 7 p.m. conference matchup against St. Scholastica.