WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's men's basketball team (1-10, 0-3) picked up a milestone victory Saturday afternoon, earning a 73–67 win over the University of Wisconsin–Stout (4-5, 0-0) at David R. Thies Arena. The win marked the Cardinals' first of the season and the first career victory for head coach Nick Bobb.

Saint Mary's led the wire-to-wire nonconference matchup, taking a 37–29 advantage into halftime and holding steady down the stretch despite being out-rebounded 45–38. 

The Cardinals made the most of their opportunities at the free-throw line, knocking down 21 of 27 attempts, while UW–Stout struggled from long range, finishing just 7-for-40 from three-point distance.

The Cardinals came out sharp offensively, setting the tone early with efficient shooting and strong ball movement. Reid Weckwerth buried a three-pointer at the 18:09 mark to spark the opening run, and Saint Mary's capitalized at the line by converting seven of its first eight free throws. 

Careful possession play helped the Cardinals limit mistakes, committing just two turnovers in the opening half.

The Blue Devils stayed within striking distance by controlling the paint, but Saint Mary's closed the half on a strong note. Khai Branham was on fire and drilled a three with 48 seconds left before adding a jumper in the final seconds to send the Cardinals into the break with an eight-point cushion.

Momentum stayed with the home team to start the second half. 

Jackson Harvey opened the scoring with a jumper just under a minute in, and John Palmer followed with a stretch of consistent scoring, including a layup and a big and-one three-pointer. 

Weckwerth added timely shots from deep as Saint Mary's pushed its lead to as many as 19 at 51–32 with 15:16 remaining.

The Blue Devils mounted a late 24-point comeback, but the Cardinals never wavered. Palmer sealed key possessions at the line, while Harvey's work on the glass helped Saint Mary's close out the win.

Weckwerth led the Cardinals with 17 points, going a perfect 6-for-6 at the free-throw line and knocking down three three-pointers. Branham added 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting, including four triples. Palmer finished with 15 points and five assists, while Harvey recorded a double-double with 13 points and 14 rebounds, also going a perfect 6-for-6 from the stripe.

It was a big win in the books for the Cardinals! They will look to celebrate the win with a break for the holidays before returning to action on Monday, Dec. 29th at UW-Superior for a 6:00 p.m. tip off.