WINONA, Minn. - The Saint Mary's men's basketball team (5-12) hosts St. Olaf (2-15) on Wednesday night for their first matchup of the year. The Cardinals struggled with their shooting in a 78-67 loss and handed the Oles their first conference victory.
 
Jabari Sawyer led the Cardinals with 16 points, making five baskets on 11 attempts, including two three-pointers. Breyton Buysman contributed 13 points and was a defensive standout with four steals. Jemari Moore added 12 points, going five-for-nine from the field and providing four rebounds. Jackson Harvey made an impact on the boards with nine rebounds, while also securing two steals.
 
In the first half, St. Olaf gained an early lead with a 4-0 start, but the Cardinals responded with a three-pointer from Khai Branham at 16:45, narrowing the gap to 4-3. Moore's three-pointer at 14:20 tied the game at 6-6, marking a back-and-forth pace. 
 
Midway through the half, the Oles hit two three-pointers and pushed their lead to 27-18 and ignited an offensive streak. Despite a late rally by the Cardinals led by Sawyer with two free-throws and a three-pointer, the Oles maintained a steady scoring pace, ending the half with a 10-point advantage at 38-28.
 
The second half began with a layup for the Oles at the 19:13 mark, setting a strong tone early. The Cardinals responded with a series of plays, including two layups by Jonah Ogunsanya and Branham at 18:03, but struggled with missed shots and turnovers, allowing the Oles to maintain a narrow lead by 12, 51-39 with 14:03 remaining.

With eight minutes to go, the Cardinals cut the deficit to three as Buysman ignited the run with a jumper and a steal, followed by his teammates stepping up. Moore drained a turnaround jumper, and two fast-break free throws from Reid Weckwerth had the team fired up.

The Cardinals had a few offensive lapses, allowing the Oles to capitalize with crucial free throws down the stretch and secure the victory on the Cardinals' home court.
The team is on a bye this weekend and will return to action on Wednesday, January 29th, at 7:30 p.m. against Hamline.