WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's men's basketball team (0-1) opened the 2025–26 season in front of a packed home crowd Friday night, squaring off against a tough early-season test falling 98-75 against nationally ranked No. 8 Carthage (1-0).
Carthage came out firing, jumping to an early 9–0 lead and using hot perimeter shooting to set the tone.
Saint Mary's found flashes of rhythm as Reid Klug got the Cardinals on the board at 17:04 with a nice jumper. The Cardinals found a sweet spot of getting good looks around the three point line and mid-range jumpers with back-to-back makes from Klug and Reid Weckwerth to cut the deficit to 14 with under 10 minutes remaining.
It was the turnovers and Carthage's quick pace kept the Cardinals on their heels. The Firebirds knocked down nine three-pointers in the first half to build a 61–31 advantage at the break.
The second half told a different story.
The Cardinals came out with renewed energy on both ends. John Palmer opened the half with a steal to spark momentum, while Jackson Harvey added a quick layup and another triple at the 17:23 mark for a 65-36 score.
Saint Mary's continued to battle late into the second half, stringing together several strong offensive possessions. Klug and Sawyer Markham each connected on midrange jumpers before Khai Branham drilled a three-pointer for a 86-52 score at the 11 minute mark.
Josh Wohlers and Branham were sparks off the bench with Wohlers and a big three-point play at 4:03. Branham hit a key three to follow.
Mitchell Hill knocked down a three in the final minutes to cap the Cardinals scoring, but Carthage maintained control down the stretch to seal the 98–75 win.
Saint Mary's tightened up defensively and executed more efficiently on offense, outscoring Carthage 44–37 over the final 20 minutes and held the Firebirds to just eight points in the final eight and a half minutes.
Four Cardinals were in double-figures for the first game of the season.
Harvey led the Cardinals with 17 points and eight rebounds, hitting three shots from deep. Klug added 13 points for his career opener on 5-for-8 shooting performance, while Branham finished with 11 points and seven boards. Weckwerth also reached double figures with 10 points, including two three-pointers.
The Cardinals look to bounce back on the road Tuesday, November 11 with a nonconference matchup at Martin Luther at 7:00 p.m.
