|
For PDF version / click here |
|
Wednesday, February 19, 2003 |
|
(Through Tuesday, February 18) |
|
Led by Ashley Luehmann’s (Lewiston, Minn.) game-high 17 points, the Cardinals snapped a two-game losing streak – and kept their MIAC playoff hopes alive — with a 69-45 win over Augsburg last Saturday. … St. Catherine, meanwhile, kept pace with the Cardinals in the race for one of the league’s six playoff spots, winning its second straight, 67-57 over Bethel on Saturday. |
|
Ashley Luehmann (Lewiston, Minn.), Angie Arrington (Spring Grove, Minn.) and Jaimie Lee (Eden Prairie, Minn.) all scored in double figures as the Cardinals posted a 67-60 win over the Wildcats on Jan. 18 |
|
If the Cardinals are to make the MIAC post-season tournament, they must beat St. Catherine on Wednesday. A win over the Wildcats would not only give the Cardinals a playoff berth, but would also give them the No. 5 seed. … SMU's win over Augsburg snapped its two-game losing streak. … Tessa Stranik (Eatonville, Wash.) scored a career-high 14 points in SMU's win over Augsburg. … Jamie Rattunde (Rollingstone, Minn.) netted 16 points vs. Gustavus and 14 vs. Augsburg last week, giving her double-figure scoring in 19 of SMU's 24 games. … SMU is looking for its first two-game winning streak since back-to-back wins over St. Olaf (61-56) and Bethel (73-45) on Jan. 25 and Jan. 29. |
vs. 
 |
Junior / Forward Hometown Major |
WINONA, Minn. — One down, one to go.
The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference women's basketball playoff picture is a jumbled mess with less than a week remaining in the regular season, but for the Saint Mary's University women's basketball team the picture could not have been more clear — win two and the season continues.
The Cardinals got the first win out of the way Saturday, as Ashley Luehmann (Lewiston, Minn.) netted a game-high 17 points and led three SMU players in double figures as Saint Mary's snapped a two-game losing streak with a 69-45 victory over Augsburg.
With the win, the Cardinals improved to 10-11 in the MIAC and are currently tied for the sixth and final playoff spot with Concordia.
More importantly, the win sets up a winner-take-all showdown with fifth-place St. Catherine on Wednesday. If the Cardinals win that game, they will hold the tiebreaker over the Wildcats, should the two teams finish in a tie.
"We knew heading into (the Augsburg game) how important it was to stay focused and not look past them," said SMU coach Dan Messmann. "It was kind of a tough game to play — they were coming in having lost 12 straight and really were playing with nothing to lose. On the other hand, we were playing with everything to lose.
"And, considering that, I thought we played a pretty solid game. I wouldn't say it was one of our best efforts of the season, but we got the job done," Messmann added. "We got the win, and at this stage of the season, that's what's important."
SMU started out a bit sluggish against the pesky Auggies, falling behind 4-0 and 8-5, before going on a 18-12 run to take its biggest lead of the first half, 23-14, with five minutes remaining. Augsburg battled back, scoring six straight points to pull within four, 23-19, before SMU settled for a seven-point, 30-23, halftime edge.
The Auggies continued to hang tough, closing the gap to one, 30-29, by scoring the second half's first six points. That was as close as Augsburg would get, however, as SMU used a 27-8 run to put the game out of reach, 53-37, with 10 minutes remaining.
Along with Luehmann's game-high 17 points, SMU also got 14 points from both Jamie Rattunde (Rollingstone, Minn.) and Tessa Stranik (Eatonville, Wash.).
"That (27-8) run was the best we played the entire game," said Messmann. "Everything seemed to click at the same time for that stretch. Hopefully we can get that type of effort for an entire game Wednesday (against St. Catherine).
"We match up well against (the Wildcats), so it should be a heck of a game," continued Messmann, whose team beat the Wildcats 67-60 in the teams' first meeting this season. "We'll just go out there Wednesday and see what happens."