ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Saint Mary's men's basketball team (5-12) traveled to Macalester (5-11) on Saturday, where they were narrowly defeated 61-56 in a close contest.
 
The Cardinals had notable performances from several key players in their recent game. Jabari Sawyer led the team with 18 points with 12 rebounds for a double-double and making him the leading rebounder for the team. Breyton Buysman recorded 15 points, going 7-for-16 from the field, while contributing eight rebounds, one assist, and one steal. 
 
Reid Weckwerth provided efficient scoring off the bench, hitting 2-for-2 from the field, including one three-pointer, and collected four total rebounds. Jonah Ogunsanya contributed nine points with four made baskets, and added two assists to his stat line. 
 
In the first half, Macalester quickly made its mark, hitting two three-pointers to take an early 6-1 lead. The Cardinals countered with a strong inside game, outscoring the Scots 18-16 in the paint, capped off by Ogunsanya's layup that tied the game at 33-33. Buysman sparked a scoring run for the Cardinals, knocking down both a three-pointer and a jumper in quick succession to help close the gap. 
 
As the half wound down, Macalester held a slim 38-37 lead, with both teams showcasing balanced scoring and solid rebounding efforts.
 
To open the final half of regulation both teams struggled with shooting, as evidenced by Scots 8-for-23 field goal performance and the Cardinals 8-for-27. Macalester's Eric Wentz played a pivotal role, scoring consecutive points with a three-pointer at the 15:30 mark and a layup shortly after, helping his team maintain a narrow lead. Buysman contributed defensively with a block and several defensive rebounds, while offensively, Sawyer kept the Cardinals in the game by scoring a layup with two minutes left, narrowing the deficit. 
 
Ultimately, Macalester secured the win with clutch free throws in the final seconds, ending the half with a score of 61-56 over the Cardinals.
 
The Cardinals will aim to bounce back on Wednesday as they host St. Olaf for a 5:30 p.m. game.