WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's women's basketball team (1-0) opened the 2025–26 season in style, rolling to an 80-57 win over North Central (Minn.) (0-1) in front of the home crowd at the David R. Thies Court.
Brianna Nusbaum led the charge with 22 points, going a perfect 4-for-4 from deep and adding four steals making an opening statement. Rylie Sternquist was a force inside, finishing with 18 points and eight rebounds, while Kali Olson stuffed the stat sheet with 13 points, a team-high nine boards, and three assists.
The first game of the season began with an evenly matched first quarter.
Julia Koch put the Cardinals on the board with a three-pointer at 9:25, assisted by Nusbaum. Olson contributed significantly for the Cardinals, scoring six points, including a fast-break layup at 4:47. Despite her efforts, the Rams maintained a slight edge, capitalizing on free throws. In the closing moments, the Rams secured a 17-13 lead by the end of the quarter.
The Cardinals found their rhythm in the second, outscoring the Rams 24-12 to take control for good.
After trailing 17-13 at the end of the first quarter, the Cardinals came alive in the second. Nusbaum's early three-pointer swung the momentum, and Saint Mary's never looked back. Sternquist and Olson helped spark the run, while Emma Mann closed the half with a buzzer-beating three to give the Cardinals a 37-29 lead at the break.
North Central made a brief push in the third quarter, but Saint Mary's never let the Rams back within striking distance.
The Cardinals sealed the deal with a dominant fourth quarter that was highlighted by back-to-back threes from Nusbaum and strong finishes inside from Lindsey Lettner and Ayla Olson to cruise to the 23-point victory.
Saint Mary's turned up the defensive pressure, forcing 23 turnovers that led to 19 points, while catching fire from beyond the arc and knocking down 11 of 20 three-pointers on the night.
The Cardinals will look to build on their strong start hosting No.15-ranked UW-La Crosse this Saturday for a 3:00 p.m. game.
