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Saturday, February 1, 2003 |
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(Through Friday, January 31) |
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The Cardinals got a game-high 22 points from Angie Arrington (Spring Grove, Minn.) en route to a 73-45 rout of Bethel in an MIAC game Wednesday. … St. Thomas, meanwhile, snapped a two-game losing streak with a 50-42 win over Hamline on Wednesday. |
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St. Thomas shot 44 percent from the field and connected on 14 of 19 free throws in outscoring the Cardinals 43-32 in the second half en route to a 66-60 victory — and the 36th straight win over SMU. |
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St. Thomas extended its winning streak to 35 straight against SMU with a regular-season sweep of their two meetings. UST won the first meeting 79-62, then dropped the Cardinals 87-58 in the rematch. |
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Jamie Rattunde (Rollingstone, Minn.) was held to six points vs. Bethel Wednesday, marking just the fourth time in SMU’s 18 games that she has not scored in double figures. … Angie Arrington’s (Spring Grove, Minn.) 22 points vs. Bethel were a career high. … SMU has now won two straight and five of its last six. … The Cardinals are looking for their first win vs. St. Thomas since a 52-47 win over the Tommies on Jan. 18, 1986. … The Cardinals’ home game vs. Bethel Wednesday was just their third home game in their last 13 games. … All eight of SMU’s wins have come in conference. |
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Sophomore / Forward Hometown Major |
WINONA, Minn. — After playing five straight games — and 10 of their last 12 — on the road, the Saint Mary’s University women’s basketball team got to bring their act home Wednesday evening.
And the Cardinals certainly didn’t disappoint.
Angie Arrington (Spring Grove, Minn.) scored a game-high 22 points and Ashley Luehmann (Lewiston, Minn.) came off the bench to chip in 19, as SMU cruised to a 73-45 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference win over Bethel.
“It was a good team effort,” said SMU coach Dan Messmann, noting the absence of leading scorer Jamie Rattunde (Rollingstone, Minn.) from the scoring leaders. Rattunde, who entered the game averaging more than 14 ppg, was held to six points by the Royals.
“(Bethel) did a nice job of containing (Jamie), so we needed some other people to step up — and Angie and Ashley did just that,” Messmann said. “Jamie made her presence felt in other ways (eight steals, six rebounds and three assists). Everyone contributed in their own way, and that’s what we need.”
The Cardinals wasted little time putting the second straight win away, using a 16-4 run over the final minutes of the first half to take a commanding 34-22 cushion into the lockerroom.
Act II was just as impressive, as SMU opened with three straight 3-pointers, two by Arrington and another by Tessa Stranik (Eastonville, Wash.) to pad SMU’s lead to 21, 43-22.
“We are playing with a ton of confidence right now,” said Messmann, whose team has now won five of its last six games to improve to 8-7 in the MIAC and 8-10 overall. “You can see it in the girls’ eyes. They are having a lot of fun.”
Messmann is hoping the fun continues this afternoon, when the Cardinals play host to St. Thomas — which has beaten SMU 36 straight times, including a 66-60 triumph earlier this year.
“We know St. Thomas is going to be tough — they’re always tough — but we’re ready for the challenge,” said Messmann. “Starting with the St. Olaf game (last Saturday), we’ve said that the playoffs have already started for us — every game we play from here on out is a playoff game, and (today’s game vs. St. Thomas) is just another playoff game.
“We’ve got to be ready to play — and play at the top of our game.”