WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's women's basketball team (6-1, 1-0) took care of business on its home court Wednesday night, rolling past Carleton College (3-3, 0-1) 64–48 for the conference opener. The Cardinals led wire-to-wire, using a dominant effort in the paint and a steady dose of pressure defense to keep the Knights at arm's length throughout the game.
Saint Mary's wasted no time getting on the board, as Brianna Nusbaum scored just three seconds into the contest on a layup set up by Rylie Sternquist. The Cardinals continued to attack the basket early, with Ayla Olson helping fuel the offensive rhythm through strong finishes and timely passes. Carleton worked to narrow the gap, but Saint Mary's controlled the glass and pushed the tempo, taking a 20–12 lead after one quarter.
The second quarter belonged to the Cardinals, who turned up the defensive intensity and converted turnovers into points. Olson jump-started the run with back-to-back layups, and Nusbaum added a three-pointer midway through the quarter to stretch the advantage 31-16 at the 6:11 mark. Saint Mary's piled up 14 points in the paint and turned the Knights' mistakes into 10 points, building a comfortable 39–22 halftime lead.
The Cardinals stayed in command after the break. Lindsey Lettner knocked down a jumper to open the third quarter, and Sternquist followed with a fast-break finish to widen the margin. Emma Mann drained a three-pointer late in the frame to help Saint Mary's maintain a 51–32 edge heading into the fourth.
Carleton made a small push in the final quarter, but the Cardinals never let the Knights back within striking distance. The Cardinals' defensive pressure and inside presence carried them the rest of the way, securing the 64–48 victory.
Nusbaum led the Cardinals with 21 points on 8-of-17 shooting, including a pair of threes. Ayla Olson delivered a career night with 17 points, nine rebounds, and five steals. Sternquist added 10 rebounds and two steals, while Kali Olson pulled down 11 rebounds and chipped in six points.
The team looks to career the conference momentum hosting Gustavus Adolphus this Saturday, at 1:00 p.m.
