NORTHFIELD, Minn. — The Saint Mary's men's basketball team (1-20, 0-12) dropped a 98-56 decision to St. Olaf College (15-7, 11-2) on Saturday at Skoglund Athletic Center.

The Cardinals found success attacking the paint, scoring 36 points inside, but St. Olaf's pressure defense proved difficult to overcome. The Oles forced 15 turnovers and converted them into 22 fast-break points to build and maintain control of the game.

Reid Klug led Saint Mary's with 20 points on nine made field goals, adding six rebounds and a block in a strong all-around effort. Khai Branham contributed eight rebounds and four assists, while John Palmer added seven points and two steals. Sawyer Markham chipped in eight points and three assists.

Saint Mary's opened the game with a defensive spark as Klug recorded a steal right off the opening tip. However, offensive struggles soon followed, as the Cardinals shot 9-for-29 from the field in the first half and went 0-for-10 from beyond the arc. Ball control also became an issue, with nine first-half turnovers limiting scoring chances. 

Saint Mary's headed into halftime trailing 52-21 after St. Olaf capitalized on mistakes.

In the second half, the Cardinals continued to battle, with Klug jumpstarting the scoring with a layup early in the period. Palmer later knocked down a three-pointer to add a spark, but turnovers and missed opportunities kept Saint Mary's from closing the gap. 

The Cardinals scored 35 points after the break, but St. Olaf's steady scoring sealed the 98-56 final.

The team will be back at home on Wednesday, Feb. 11 hosting Augsburg for a 7:00 p.m. game.