SAINT PETER, Minn. — The Saint Mary's men's basketball team (1-24, 0-16) closed out its season Saturday with a 120-92 loss to Gustavus Adolphus (23-2, 15-1) at Gus Young Court. Competing in their final game of the year, the Cardinals delivered their highest offensive output of the season, finishing with 92 points.

After trailing 58-40 at halftime, Saint Mary's responded with a strong second half, pouring in 52 points. The Cardinals connected on 12 three-pointers and received an impressive 35 points from their bench. Gustavus countered with 18 three-pointers of its own and 61 bench points to secure the win. The game marked the end of the 2025-26 campaign for both teams in conference play.

John Palmer led the Cardinals with 18 points, knocking down four 3-pointers. Khai Branham followed with 17 points, including a pair from beyond the arc, while adding two steals. Isaiah Ronning chipped in a career high 14 points on four three-pointers, and Reid Klug facilitated the offense with seven assists to go along with six rebounds.

The Cardinals came out aggressive, tying the game 3-3 early on a triple from Sawyer Markham. Branham briefly gave Saint Mary's the lead midway through the half, and Palmer kept things close with three first-half three-pointers, trimming the deficit to 34-32 with 7:45 to play. Gustavus, however, used a late surge fueled by perimeter shooting and transition points to take an 18-point lead into the break.

In the second half, Saint Mary's continued to battle. Ronning knocked down multiple shots from deep, Palmer added steady free-throw shooting, and Jackson Harvey brought energy with a highlight dunk midway through the period. Despite the offensive spark, Gustavus capitalized on turnovers and fast-break opportunities to maintain control and pull away for the 120-92 final.

The Cardinals wrapped up the season and look forward to post-season workouts in preparations for a fresh start next season.