|
For PDF version / click here |
|
Saturday, February 1, 2003 |
|
(Through Friday, January 31) |
|
Despite a game-high 20 points from Nick Michaels (Dyer, Ind.), the Cardinals connected on just 16 field goals — and shot just 18 percent from the field in the second half – in dropping their ninth straight, 84-57, to Bethel Wednesday. … St. Thomas, meanwhile, dropped an 84-68 decision to Hamline on Wednesday. |
|
St. Thomas broke open a two-point game with a 21-7 run to open the second half, and the Tommies never looked back en route to a 65-45 win over the Cardinals on Dec. 11. |
|
St. Thomas cruised to a pair of wins over SMU a year ago, beating the Cardinals 76-52 and 64-47 en route to capturing the MIAC regular-season title. |
|
Nick Michaels’ (Dyer, Ind.) game-high 20 points vs. Bethel on Wednesday marked the second time this season that he has scored 20 points or more. … It was also Michaels’ sixth straight game scoring in double figures. … Michaels is currently 23 points away from becoming the 21st SMU player to reach 1,000 career points, and his seven rebounds vs. Bethel gave him 506 for his career. … SMU’s 24 free-throw attempts and 18 free throws made vs. Bethel were season highs. … UST enters today’s game with a 29-game winning streak vs. SMU. |
vs. 
 |
Terrence Smith Freshman / Foreward Hometown Major |
WINONA, Minn. — All season, the Saint Mary’s University men’s basketball team has struggled to get to the free-throw line.
In fact, through their first 16 games, the Cardinals had gone to the line 249 times, an average of just 15 free-throw attempts a game.
Their opponents, meanwhile, had shot 376 free throws — more than 23 a game and 127 more than SMU had attempted.
Wednesday evening, the Cardinals made it a point to get to the free-throw line, finishing 18-for-24 from the charity stripe. Unfortunately, while the Cardinals’ free throws were dropping at an alarming rate, their field goals weren’t — especially in the second half.
The Cardinals made just seven field goals in the second half — and 16 in the game — as Bethel broke open a close game with 51 second-half points en route to an 84-57 win over the Cardinals.
"We played a very good, competitive half, but then we just kind of fell asleep," said SMU coach Bob Biebel, whose team dropped its ninth straight. "I thought we had pretty decent looks all night. But you’re not going to win games going 7-for-39 in the second half."
Nick Michaels (Dyer, Ind.) scored a game-high 20 points in the losing effort for SMU, while Jim Wangler (Wheaton, Ill.) also finished in double figures, netting 11 points.
“I don’t know what more I can say,” said Biebel, whose team is in the midst of its longest losing streak since early in the 2000-2001 season, when the Cardinals also lost nine straight. “I thought we played a pretty solid first half – except for maybe the last couple of minutes. But we still haven’t been able to put it all together — for some reason or another, we seem to have spurts where we just lose focus. We did it late in the half against Bethel and it gave (the Royals) all the momentum.
“We can’t keep playing so up-and-down – mentally and physically,” Biebel continued. “We’ve got to be more consistent.”
And fast — because as inconsistent as the Cardinlas have been, their next opponent, St. Thomas has been equally as consistent.
Consistently good.
The Tommies enter today’s game having won 11 of their last 13 games — including a 65-45 thumping of the Cardinals on Dec. 11.
“It’s going to be another huge test,” Biebel said of today’s game. “When we play the way we are capable, we can play with anyone. But when we lose focus, and when we don’t hit our shots … .”