PLATTEVILLE, Wis. — The Cardinals beat the snow Saturday afternoon as the women's basketball team (4-1) cruised past Grinnell (2-5), 77–49, in a neutral-site matchup to kick off the Marc Heidorf Memorial Classic at Williams Fieldhouse, controlling the game from start to finish.
The Cardinals owned the glass with a 45–21 rebounding edge, dominated the paint with 42 points inside, and turned 19 Pioneer turnovers into 26 points.
Saint Mary's set the tone early. After a defensive stop, Kali Olson knotted the score with a layup, and moments later, Brianna Nusbaum sparked a 9–2 run with a fast-break bucket and a three-pointer.
At the horn, Rylie Sternquist drained a buzzer-beating triple off a feed from Nusbaum to put Saint Mary's up 21–16 after one.
Saint Mary's broke the game open in the second quarter, outscoring Grinnell 24–9. Nusbaum caught fire, pouring in 11 points in the frame that included a deep three at 3:24 off an assist from Emma Mann. Her hot hand carried her to a career-high 33 points with five threes on the night.
Inside, Kali Olson kept the pressure on with strong finishes and steady rebounding, helping the Cardinals take a 45–25 lead into halftime.
The Cardinals stayed in control in the third. A 6–0 burst, highlighted by an Ayla Olson layup and a Nusbaum fast-break finish, widened the gap. Grinnell knocked down three three-pointers in the quarter, but Saint Mary's answered each push.
Ayla Olson added two free throws and continued to make an impact on both ends, sending the Cardinals into the fourth, up 57–38.
Saint Mary's closed things out with another efficient quarter, hitting 7-of-11 shots and keeping the pressure on from the perimeter. Lindsey Lettner drilled a three-pointer early in the frame, while the Olson sisters continued to control the paint. Ayla with timely buckets and boards, Kali with a block and several strong defensive stops.
Hadley Sammons knocked down two late free throws to cap the scoring and secure the 77–49 win.
Nusbaum led all scorers with a career-best 33 points which doubled for a single game scoring program record that was previously 32-points set in 2022, five three-pointers, and four steals. Kali Olson anchored the interior with 14 rebounds and two blocks, while Ayla Olson added 10 points and nine boards. Lettner chipped in six points on two three-pointers and handed out three assists.
The Cardinals are right back in Williams Fieldhouse for the final game of the weekend, tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. against Simpson.
