WINONA, Minn. — Saint Mary's University men's basketball coach Bob Biebel isn't much of a movie buff, and he's not too familiar with the 1990s movie Groundhog Day, in which Bill Murray relives the same day over and over and over again.

Then again, Biebel doesn't need to have seen the movie to know what Murray was going through — he's experiencing his own Groundhog Day.

Call it — Groundhog Day 2, The Sequel

The Cardinals dropped their eighth straight game last Saturday, falling to St. Olaf 89-74.

And, like the seven games before it, the reason for the Cardinals' struggles against St. Olaf was easily definable — they didn't get the key baskets when they needed them.

"I know I'm beginning to sound like a broken record, but it's the same thing game after game after game," said Biebel, whose team could have used a few key shots early against the Oles, who netted the game's first 18 points and never looked back in rolling to the 15-point win. "We're getting good looks at the basket, we're just not hitting the shots."

That was the difference in last Monday's 71-52 loss to Concordia — a game in which SMU clawed to within six midway through the second half, only to have the Cobbers go on a 20-7 run to close out the game.

And it was more of the same on Wednesday, when Hamline scored 13 of the game's final 20 points en route to a 66-60 win.

Against St. Olaf, it was the start — not the finish — that cost the Cardinals. After failing to score a point through the first five minutes in falling behind 18-0, the Cardinals managed to whittle St. Olaf's lead down to 12, 42-30, by halftime. Over the final 20 minutes, however, the Cardinals would get no closer than 10 points in falling to 2-10 in the MIAC and 2-15 overall.

"Offensively, we're too up and down — we're just not getting consistent performances," said Biebel, whose team was led by Terrence Smith's (Broadview, Ill.) 16 points and Nick Michaels' (Dyer, Ind.) 13. Lance Larson (Lakeville, Minn.) and Jim Wangler (Wheaton, Ill.) — averaging in double figures coming into Saturday's game — managed just seven and five points, respectively.

On the flip side, all five St. Olaf starters scored in double figures, led by Tim Nelson's game-high 22 points. Mike Ludwig chipped in 16 points, while Justin Bonestroo scored 12 and Kevin Jaunich and Matt Schlenker tallied 11 each.

"The effort's there," said Biebel, whose team has not won since a 72-67 win over St. John's on Jan. 4. "We've just got to find a way to put all the pieces together — to play a complete, 40-minute game."

* THIS AND THAT: The Cardinals have now lost a season-high eight straight, and are looking for their first win since Jan. 4, when they kicked off the new year with a 72-67 win over St. John's. … Nick Michaels (Dyer, Ind.) leads three SMU players averaging in double figures with a 13.0 ppg aveage. Jim Wangler (Wheaton, Ill.) is averaging 11.8 ppg, while Lance Larson (Lakeville, Minn.) is at 11.0 ppg. … St. Olaf's 89 points are the third-most given up by the Cardinals this season. … Larson has made 30 of the 34 free throws he's attempts this season (88 percent). … Terrence Smith (Broadview, Ill.) matched his career high with 16 points vs. St. Olaf.