For the official GameDay Program for today's game pdf / click here (pdf)

THE MATCHUP

Saint Mary's vs. Gustavus vs. Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2005 SMU Gym 7:30 p.m.

GAMEDAY PLAYER PROFILE

Megan Moran Year Sophomore Position Forward Hometown Burlington, Wis.

WINONA, Minn. — Patience.

That was the game plan for Saint Mary’s University women’s basketball coach Dan Messmann heading into Monday’s MIAC showdown against Bethel.

The conference dual began with nine lead changes in the game’s opening 20 minutes, with SMU rallying to tie the score on three occasions, before grabbing a five-point, 38-33, halftime advantage.

And the Cardinals’ patience paid off, as SMU opened the second half with a 19-5 run — including 14 straight points — en route to a lopsided 87-66 victory.

“At halftime, I told them they needed to play harder — they needed to play with more focus on not just the offensive side, but the defensive side as well,” said Messmann, whose team has now won two straight heading into tonight’s key matchup against Gustavus. “When we took the floor in the second half, we were changed — we were playing with a purpose.”

A purpose to not only win, but do it with flying colors.

Usually led by senior Jamie Rattunde (Rollingstone, Minn.), who entered the game leading the Cardinals in almost every category — points (130), rebounds (65), steals (27) and assists (37) — Monday's showing was a total team effort, which included a team-high 19 points from Angie Arrington (Spring Grove, Minn.), 18 points and 11 rebounds from freshman Jessica Weisbrod (Rollingstone, Minn.), and 16 points on 5 of 8 shooting from beyond the 3-point line from Ashley Luehmann (Lewiston, Minn.).

Not to mention a double-double — 12 points and 10 rebounds—from Rattunde.

“(Rattunde) is such a tremendous part of our team, but we're showing we don't have to rely on her 100 percent of the time,” Messmann said, noting his team posted 42 rebounds to Bethel's 32, and seven Cardinals tallied two or more boards on the game. “We're in a team building stage, and our success has proven that what we're doing is working.”