ST. PAUL, Minn. — Saint Mary's University of Minnesota (12-3, 6-2) came up short on the road Saturday afternoon, falling to St. Catherine (7-8, 2-6) by a 68-61 final. The Cardinals controlled much of the interior, scoring 34 points in the paint and pulling down 29 rebounds, but a decisive second quarter proved costly.
Rylie Sternquist paced the Cardinals with 13 points and five rebounds, while Kali Olson added 12 points and eight boards. Lindsey Lettner knocked down three triples on her way to 11 points, and Ayla Olson was active on both ends with nine points, nine rebounds, and two steals.
The Cardinals set the tone early, as Sternquist opened the scoring with a jumper just 12 seconds into the game. Saint Mary's continued to find success offensively, with Brianna Nusbaum facilitating the attack, including a kick-out assist to Lettner for a three at the 8:00 mark.
Kali Olson made her presence felt inside with strong rebounding and a layup midway through the quarter, helping the Cardinals maintain control and close the opening frame with a 15-10 advantage.
Saint Mary's briefly extended its lead early in the second quarter behind another Lettner three at 9:17 and a strong finish by Sternquist. St. Catherine, however, found its rhythm, stringing together a series of baskets and capitalizing on second-chance opportunities.
A late three-pointer by Hadley Sammons beat the halftime buzzer, but the Cardinals still trailed 33-27 at the break.
The Cardinals responded in the third quarter with renewed energy in the paint. Kali Olson opened the half with an offensive rebound and putback just 16 seconds in, sparking a 12-4 edge inside for the quarter. Sternquist and Ayla Olson added key baskets as Saint Mary's steadily chipped away, and Lettner's three with 1:10 remaining helped pull the Cardinals within four, 48-44, heading into the final period.
Saint Mary's continued its push early in the fourth, tying the game at 48-48 on a Sternquist layup off a Nusbaum assist. The Cardinals stayed within striking distance throughout the quarter, including another strong finish by Kali Olson that cut the deficit to two at 6:38 and a pair of free throws that made it 59-55.
St. Catherine answered with a timely three at the 3:04 mark, creating breathing room. Julia Koch's layup with 2:02 remaining pulled Saint Mary's within one, but the Wildcats closed out the final minutes at the free-throw line to seal the 68-61 win.
The Cardinals were plagued with hot shooting from the Wildcats that sealed the fate of the game.
Looking ahead, the Cardinals will host St. Olaf on Wednesday, Jan. 21 for a 5:30 p.m. tip off as the team is excited to host a Night in the Nest doubleheader with the men's game to follow.
