ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Saint Mary's women's basketball team (8-9) faced a tough challenge on Wednesday night, falling to the Hamline Pipers (13-5) 64-38. The Pipers limited the Cardinals to a season-low 38 points and held them to their lowest shooting performance of the season.

Rylie Sternquist paced the team in scoring with nine points, all from beyond the arc. Brianna Nusbaum made a notable impact on both ends, racking up three steals and three assists. Kali Olson led the team with 11 rebounds.

Saint Mary's evened the score at 5-all after two free throws from Nusbaum and a three-pointer by Sternquist. However, Hamline took control as the Cardinals struggled with turnovers, committing eight in the first quarter. The Pipers capitalized on those mistakes, pushing their lead to 17-5 with a flurry of fast-break points.

The quarter finished 20-5 with the only points for the Cardinals coming from the early minutes of the game.

In the second quarter, the Cardinals outscored Hamline 14-9, showcasing a more efficient offensive performance. Olson's offensive rebound and subsequent layup at 10:00 marked the start of the Cardinals scoring efforts. Hamline responded with a layup at 7:50, but turnovers plagued both teams throughout the quarter, with a total of 13 combined turnovers recorded.
Julia Koch contributed significantly for the Cardinals with a layup and a free throw with 1:35 remaining helping to draw the team closer. A three-pointer by Rylie Sternquist at 0:30, assisted by Brianna Nusbaum, further cut into Hamline's lead. 

The Cardinals pulled within 10 at the half, 29-19.

Hamline came out strong to start the second half, quickly extending their lead with six early points. The Cardinals continued to struggle with turnovers, giving up five in the quarter, which Hamline took advantage of with a mix of layups and free throws. Saint Mary's had limited offensive success, with Olson hitting a jumper and Alyssa Coleman adding a layup. The Pipers defense played a key role in their dominant 20-7 scoring edge for the quarter.

Rylie Sternquist hit a three-pointer at the 9:00 mark reducing the deficit to 49-29 in the fourth quarter. The Cardinals could not crawl out of the 20-point deficit as they were plagued by a shooting slump and turnovers.

Despite late free throws from Victoria Marial and Jaiden Thompson, the Cardinals couldn't close the gap, ending the game with a 64-38 loss to the Pipers.

The Cardinals will look to bounce back on Saturday at home, facing top-ranked Bethel in the conference at 1 p.m.