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Saturday, January 18, 2003 |
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(Through Friday, January 17) |
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The Cardinals dropped their fourth straight game Wednesday, falling to Augsburg 71-64 in an MIAC contest. … UW-Eau Claire, meanwhile, dropped its fourth straight — and second in a row in overtime — falling to UW-Stevens Point 74-70 Wednesday. |
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Tonight's game between SMU and UW-Eau Claire is the first meeting between the two schools since the 1961-62 season, in which SMU beat the Blugolds 69-60. The two teams have played 16 times, with UW-EC holding an 11-5 advantage. |
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Jim Wangler (Wheaton, Ill.) scored a career-high 27 points vs. Augsburg, marking the third straight game that Wangler has been the Cardinals’ leading scorer. … The loss to Augsburg was SMU’s fourth straight, and ninth in its last 10 games. … The Cardinals went to the free-throw line just three times vs. Augsburg, and their opponents have attempted 94 more free throws through 13 games. … After winning 10 of its first 11 games, UW-Eau Claire enters tonight’s game in the midst of a four-game losing streak. |
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Junior / Forward Hometown Major |
WINONA, Minn. — Numbers don’t lie — and the numbers told the whole story for the Saint Mary’s University men’s basketball team in its Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference game against Augsburg.
• Field-goal attempts: 52 for Augsburg, 64 for Saint Mary’s.
• 3-point attempts: 18 for Augsburg, 23 for Saint Mary’s.
So far, so good for the Cardinals, right?
• Free-throw attempts: 26 for Augsburg, 3 for Saint Mary’s.
Wrong.
The Cardinals were a perfect 3-for-3 from the free-throw line, but the Auggies made 18 of their 26 free-throw attempts — including several down the stretch as Augsburg pulled out a 71-64 victory over the Cardinals at the SMU gym.
“We played hard, but we didn’t make the big shots when we needed them,” said SMU coach Bob Biebel, whose team dropped its fourth straight. “I thought we played pretty well, but we had a few situations where we needed a big basket, and we couldn’t come up with it.”
The Cardinals struggled from the field in the first half, managing just 22 points, and were staring at a five-point, 27-22, hole at the break. The Cardinals found their shooting touch in the second half, connecting on 17 of their 34 attempts from the field, but the Auggies’ sizzling performance from the free-throw line proved to be too much.
“We can’t keep sending teams to the line like that,” said Biebel, whose team has taken fewer trips to the free-throw line in 12 of its 13 games this season. “We sent (Augsburg) to the line, and they did their job — they made the shots when they had to.”
Jim Wangler (Wheaton, Ill.) tossed in a career-high 27 points to lead the Cardinals (2-7 MIAC, 2-11 overall) in scoring for the third straight game. Nick Michaels (Dyer, Ind.) chipped in 12 points, while Ryan Wilt (Naperville, Ill.) tallied his first double-double of the season, scoring 10 points and adding 11 rebounds.
“We’re trying to look forward and not dwell on the past,” said Biebel, whose team returns to action tonight, playing host to UW-Eau Claire in a nonconference game. “(Playing Eau Claire) is a great opportunity for us — they are a class team with a great coach. Two years ago, they were No. 2 in the nation, and they play everybody tough.
“We know it’s going to be a grind-it-out slugfest.”