MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - The Saint Mary's women's basketball team (5-6,3-2) hit the road again tonight, facing off against Augsburg (2-10,0-5) in the city. The Cardinals secured a 70-65 road victory, led by freshman Brianna Nusbaum, who set a career-high with 26 points.
 
Nusbaum finished with 26 points, shooting 9-of-19 from the field and 6-of-7 from the free-throw line, along with three steals. Both Lindsey Lettner and Julia Koch contributed 12 points, with Koch setting a career-high and six-of-six from the stripe, each adding two assists in the victory.
 
Kali Olson contributed the first four points for the Cardinals, hitting an opening layup and two free throws. Nusbaum followed with a three-point play, giving the Cardinals a 7-4 lead in the first three minutes.
 
The Cardinals scored the next six points at the free-throw line, finishing a perfect 9-for-9 from the stripe to close the first half, trailing 19-17.
 
Nusbaum stole the ball from the Auggies on the opening possession, converting a fast-break layup to tie the game. Lettner and Koch scored their first points of the game with a three-pointer and a jumper, respectively, with five minutes left in the second quarter.
 
Olson snapped a four-minute scoring drought with a three-pointer, and Nusbaum added her 15th point, accounting for half of Saint Mary's total. The first half ended with the Cardinals trailing 38-30.
 
The Cardinals surged on a 14-6 run, fueled by six points each from Koch and Nusbaum.
The Cardinals were unable to regain their early lead, finishing the third quarter with three ties. The game was knotted at 52-52 after Rylie Sternquist hit a buzzer-beater, setting up an exciting final stretch.
 
Tessa McMahon scored her first two points of the game, putting the Cardinals ahead by two. A three-pointer from Sternquist and two free throws by Koch extended the Cardinals' lead to 61-54, their largest of the game, with five minutes left.
 
The game came down to clutch free throws for the Cardinals, as the Auggies fought back to tie it at 61. Lettner hit a critical three-pointer off an Olson steal to put the Cardinals ahead late. When the Auggies tried to rally by fouling, the Cardinals calmly sank their free throws, sealing a 70-65 victory.
 
The Cardinals sank a total of 21 free throws.
 
The team will be back in action on Saturday, January 11th, for Alumni Day, hosting Carleton at 3 p.m.