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Wednesday, January 22, 2003 |
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(Through Tuesday, January 21) |
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Despite a 15-point effort from Nick Michaels (Dyer, Ind.), the Cardinals saw their season-high losing streak climb to six straight with a 71-52 loss at Concordia on Monday. … Hamline, meanwhile, snapped its five-game losing streak with a 74-68 overtime win over St. Olaf Monday. |
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Six of the seven Cardinals who scored against Hamline on Dec. 4 finished in double figures — including a season-high 20 points from Lance Larson (Lakeville, Minn.) — as SMU pulled away from Hamline 83-70. |
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SMU and Hamline split their season series a year ago, with both teams winning on their home floors. The Cardinals got 16 points from Brett Johnson and 10 points and 11 rebounds from Nick Michaels in a 60-50 victory, while Hamline came away with a 70-57 win in the teams' rematch. |
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Nick Michaels (Dyer, Ind.) was the only SMU player to score in double figures vs. Concordia, finishing with 15 points. … Only once all season have the Cardinals scored fewer points than they scored in their last two games (50 vs. UW-Eau Claire and 52 vs. Concordia). … Michaels leads the Cardinals in scoring (12.8 ppg), while Lance Larson (Lakeville, Minn.) and Jim Wangler (Wheaton, Ill.) are also averaging in double figures (12.0 and 11.7 ppg, respectively. … SMU shot just nine free throws vs. Concordia and has attempted just 149 for the season — 101 fewer than its opponents. |
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Freshman / Guard Hometown Major |
WINONA, Minn. — All season, Saint Mary's University men's basketball coach Bob Biebel has been able to find a glimmer of a silver lining in each game his Cardinals played.
A strong first half here, a good defensive effort there. Great free-throw shooting one night, solid play on the glass the next.
Despite the 2-12 record, there was always something positive for Biebel to hang his hat on.
Monday night against Concordia, there were no silver linings.
The Cardinals struggled in all facets of the game — from the field (6-for-21 from beyond the 3-point line), from the free-throw line (2-for-9), and rebounding (SMU was outrebounded 37-28) — in dropping their sixth straight, 71-52.
“We did not shoot the ball well at all,” admitted Biebel. “It’s one of those things where we never seem to catch a break when we need it. We got within five twice in the second half, and twice we drove to the hoop to score and were called for the charge.
“Those are the little things that can just steal any momentum you might have had.”
That, and the Cardinals’ dismal performance from the free-throw line.
“You can’t go 2-for-9 from the free-throw line and expect to win many ball games,” said Biebel, whose team was 1-for-2 from the line in the first half, and 1-for-7 in the second — with both made free throws coming from Ryan Wilt (Naperville, Ill.). “We need to do a better job of knocking down shots — not just from the line, but from everywhere on the floor.”
And fast.
The Cardinals don’t have much time to lick their wounds, as they return to conference action tonight against Hamline.
And Biebel & Co. are hoping for a repeat performance of the teams’ first meeting, when the Cardinals had six players score in double figures en route to an 83-70 victory.
“Hamline’s going to be tough — they are playing pretty well right now,” said Biebel, noting that the Pipers picked up an overtime win over St. Olaf on Monday, while also taking fourth-place Macalester to overtime on Saturday. “We can’t sit back and think just because we beat them the first time they are just going to roll over and let us beat up on them again.
“It’s pretty simple – we have to knock down some shots. If we do, we’ll be just fine. If we don’t … .”
If they don’t, it will be tough for Biebel to locate that silver lining.