WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University men's basketball team kicked off the new year in much the same fashion they finished the old — playing a strong first half.

Fortunately for the Cardinals, the first game of the new year ended much differently, as SMU survived a tough afternoon on the offensive and defensive glass to post a 72-67 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference win over St. John's at the SMU gym Saturday.

"That was a big, big win for us," said SMU coach Bob Biebel, whose team snapped a five-game losing streak with the victory. "I thought we played extremely well as a team. Individually, we didn't have any heroic efforts, but as a team in general, we worked very well together."

And, unlike games past, the Cardinals did so in both the first and second halves.

The Cardinals were red hot in the first half, shooting 56 percent from the field (15-for-25) en route to building a commanding 35-28 halftime advantage.

Things continued to go the Cardinals' way early in the second half as SMU built that lead to as many as 14 points.

The Johnnies, however, weren't about to play dead as they whittled the Cardinals' lead down to two points late in the half.

"I was a little concerned when (St. John's) got the lead down to two," admitted Biebel, whose team has formed the bad habit of starting strong, then fading down the stretch. "It just seemed like we couldn't get a defensive stand to save our lives. Once we finally did, we were able to convert — Jim Wangler (Wheaton, Ill.) hit a big three to push the lead to five and we never looked back after that."

The Cardinals may not have looked back, but they certainly have to look forward, as they return to action Monday, when they play host to Carleton.

"As big as this win was for us, we don't have time to sit back and savor it," said Biebel, whose team improved to 2-3 in the MIAC and 2-7 overall, while St. John's dropped its fourth straight and fell to 3-2 in the conference and 4-6 overall. "We got a little overconfident after we beat Hamline (83-70) and we came out the next game (vs. St. Olaf) and were very flat.

"We've got to play with the same intensity (Monday) that we play with (against the Johnnies)," Biebel continued. "If we can do that, we can play with any team in the conference."

* THIS AND THAT: Jim Wangler’s (Wheaton, Ill.) 18 points vs. St. John’s were a career-high. … The Cardinals’ win over the Johnnies snapped a season-high five-game losing streak. … Saturday’s win was also SMU’s first on its home floor. … Lance Larson (Lakeville, Minn.) and Nick Michaels (Dyer, Ind.) lead the Cardinals in scoring, averaging 14 ppg each. … SMU has posted its two highest offensive outputs of the season in its two wins (83 in an 83-70 win over Hamline, and 72 in its 72-67 win vs. St. John’s). … SMU attempted just 15 free throws against the Johnnies (making nine), while SJU went 26-for-33 from the free throw line. … Monday’s game against the Cardinals is the fifth of six straight road games for Carleton.