WINONA, Minn. — Saint Mary's (1-1) couldn't overcome a tough middle stretch on Saturday afternoon, falling 70–59 to No.15-ranked UW–La Crosse (3-1). The Cardinals dominated the glass with a 43–34 rebounding edge and tallied six blocks, but 21 turnovers that turned into 23 Eagle points proved costly.
Saint Mary's outscored UWL 17–15 in the final frame but couldn't erase the deficit built in the second and third quarters.
Rylie Sternquist paced the Cardinals with 19 points, hitting three threes and grabbing six rebounds. Ayla Olson added a career night 13 points, going a perfect 5-for-5 at the line while blocking two shots. Kali Olson was a force on the boards, pulling down 13 rebounds—six of them offensive—and scoring six points.
The Cardinals struck first with a Koch layup at 7:27 to take a 2–0 lead, but early turnovers stalled their rhythm. Five giveaways in the opening quarter helped the Eagles grab momentum, though Sternquist's jumper at 1:13 pulled the Cardinals within two. The Cardinals trailed 12–10 after the opening 10 minutes.
Saint Mary's battled back in the second quarter, tying the game at 19 on an Ayla Olson layup with 5:30 left. Turnovers continued to loom large allowing the Eagles to rebuild a lead. Sternquist drilled a deep three just before halftime to trim the deficit to 33–28.
The Cardinals opened the second half with strong defensive energy, and a Sternquist three at 8:07 cut the Eagles' lead to six. But La Crosse answered with a string of baskets to regain control. Ayla Olson kept the Cardinals close at the line, sinking four straight free throws, but a late-quarter triple from the Eagles pushed the margin to 55–42 heading into the fourth.
Saint Mary's made a final push in the closing period, dominating the paint 12–4 and recording four blocks, two from Ayla Olson, to ramp up defensive pressure. Sternquist knocked down a three with 1:46 remaining to chip away at the lead, but the Cardinals couldn't get any closer as the Eagles held on for the win.
It was a great outting for the team, but they will turn to their next opponent, Crown College on Wednesday, November 19 in St. Bonifacius, Minn., for a 7:00 p.m. tip.
