MOORHEAD, Minn. — The historic season for the No. 4 Saint Mary's women's basketball team saw its postseason run come to a halt in the MIAC Semifinals with a 71-62 loss to No. 1 Concordia College on Thursday night.
The Cardinals close the night at 20-8 overall and 13-5 in conference play, marking their 15th appearance in the MIAC postseason and their first semifinal appearance since 2018. Saint Mary's has never won the conference tournament and previously advanced to the championship game in 2014 and 2016, finishing runner up both seasons.Â
Thursday's contest was just the second meeting in program history between Saint Mary's and Concordia in MIAC tournament play, with the only other matchup coming in the 2004 quarterfinals.
Saint Mary's controlled the opening half in impressive fashion but could not hold onto the commanding 37-21 halftime lead. They turned Cobber turnovers into 20 points and owned a strong advantage in the paint.
Ayla Olson led the charge with 19 points and seven rebounds. Rylie Sternquist added 16 points and four assists, while Brianna Nusbaum contributed nine points, five rebounds, and two steals.Â
The Cardinals established their presence in the first quarter by attacking the paint, scoring 18 points without a three pointer. Kali Olson's defensive rebound sparked a fast break that led to Sternquist's game tying layup, and Saint Mary's capitalized on transition opportunities to take an 18-12 lead after one.
Momentum continued in the second quarter. Kali Olson opened the frame with a layup before Emma Mann connected from beyond the arc to stretch the advantage and force a timeout for the Cobbers. Ayla Olson capped the half with a late layup and two free throws as the Cardinals outscored Concordia 19-9 in the quarter to take a 37-21 lead into the break.
The third quarter began with another surge, as Ayla Olson knocked down a three pointer just 10 seconds in. She added two more layups in the frame, but Concordia slowly chipped away at the deficit with consistent scoring down the stretch. The Cardinals held a 50-45 advantage heading into the fourth.
In the final period, Julia Koch pushed the lead to 53-49 with a layup at the 7:26 mark, and Nusbaum gave Saint Mary's a 55-53 edge midway through the quarter. Concordia responded with a decisive run, highlighted by a pivotal three pointer that swung momentum. The Cobbers outscored the Cardinals 50-25 in the second half and converted 15-of-19 free throws to complete the comeback.
With the loss, Saint Mary's now awaits its postseason fate. The Cardinals will learn whether their season continues during the NCAA selection show on Monday, March 2 at 1:30 p.m.
