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Monday, December 9, 2002 |
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(Through Sunday, December 8) |
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The Cardinals struggled offensively, shooting just 35 percent from the field in a 79-69 loss to St. Olaf last Saturday. … Bethel, meanwhile, snapped a three-game losing streak with a 68-60 victory over Macalester last Saturday. |
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After getting beaten by 12, 83-71 in the teams' first meeting, SMU took the Royals to overtime in the second encounter, before falling 76-72. |
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Nick Michaels (Dyer, Ind.) has scored in double figures in all four SMU games, and the senior forward currently leads the team in scoring (18.0 ppg) and rebounds (8.3 rpg). … Michaels notched his second double-double of the season last Wednesday vs. Hamline, scoring 12 points and adding 10 rebounds. … Lance Larson (Lakeville, Minn.) and Jim Wangler (Wheaton, Ill.) are also averaging in double figures for the Cardinals, scoring 16.0 and 11.8 ppg, respectively. … The Cardinals hold a 124-121 edge in points scored in the first half, but SMU's opponents hold a 157-153 second-half edge. … The Cardinals will be looking for their first home win Monday vs. Bethel. … As a team, SMU is averaging 69.2 ppg, while the Cardinals' opponents are averaging 69.5. |
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Senior / Forward Hometown Major |
WINONA, Minn. — Just when Saint Mary's University men's basketball coach Bob Biebel thinks he's got his team figured out, the Cardinals pull a fast one on their veteran coach.
Three days after watching the Cardinals put six players in double figures en route to an 83-70 victory over Hamline, Biebel watched in stunned silence as SMU's offense decided to take an early Christmas break, shooting just 35 percent from the field and scoring just 21 first half points in dropping a 79-69 decision to St. Olaf.
"We did not play well, plain and simple," said Biebel. "We didn't come out with any emotion — we were flat offensively, and that took us out of our game right from the start."
The Cardinals connected on just 8 of 31 field goal attempts in the first half, falling behind by nine, 30-21, at the intermission. Things improved a little in the second half as SMU erupted for 48 points. Unfortunately, the Oles' offense also poured it on over the game's final 20 minutes, scoring 49 second-half points in winning for the fourth straight time.
"I was disappointed with the way we played, especially in the first half," said Biebel. "We just did not come out ready to play. We relied on some three-point shots that didn't go in and then we'd just stand around — there was no movement at all in our offense."
Nick Michaels (Dyer, Ind.) continued to light up the scoreboard for the Cardinals, finishing with a team-high 19 points — marking the fourth straight game that the senior forward has scored in double figures. Jim Wangler (Wheaton, Ill.) chipped in a career-high 16 points, but it was not enough.
"I was very pleased with the efforts of our second and third groups," praised Biebel, whose team returns to conference play Monday night, playing host to Bethel. "Those guys came in and worked hard and gave us that spark we needed. Unfortunately, by that time we had dug ourselves too deep a hole to get out of.
"We know we can play better," Biebel added. "We have got to get more consistent — especially on the offensive end. We can't have six double-figure scorers one night, and then one or two the next."