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

THE MATCHUP

Saint Mary's vs. St. Olaf vs. Saturday, Feb. 19, 2005 SMU Gym 1 p.m.

GAMEDAY SENIOR SALUTE

Angie Arrington Jamie Rattunde Tessa Stranik Senior Salute Online / Click here

WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University women's basketball team entered Wednesday's Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference game at Carleton with two shots to achieve one goal — a home playoff berth.

Thanks to the Knights' 62-48 win, however, the Cardinals now face a new scenario — one or none.

SMU, which dropped its second straight game for just the second time this season, is currently tied with Gustavus for the No. 4 spot in the conference standings. With a win on Saturday in their home finale against St. Olaf — or a loss by Gustavus in its final regular-season game vs. St. Benedict — the Cardinals will lock up that fourth position, and that elusive home playoff game.

Carleton, meanwhile, earned a share of its third straight MIAC regular-season crown with Wednesday's win. It was the second straight vs. SMU this season, and the Knights have now held the Cardinals to their two lowest offensive outputs of the season (42 in a 57-42 loss on Dec. 11, and 48 in Wednesday's 62-48 setback).

“We did not play particularly well (against Carleton) — we dug ourselves too big of a hole in the first half and were never able to climb out,” said SMU coach Dan Messmann, whose team struggled through its two worst offensive performances of the season vs. the Knights — managing just 42 points in a 57-42 loss on Dec. 11, and 48 in Wednesday's 62-48 setback. “Fortunately, that game didn’t hurt (SMU's playoff chances) that much.”

Now, everything is riding on the St. Olaf game.

And, along with the revenge factor (SMU lost to the Oles 58-51 earlier this year), there are a couple of other variables working in the Cardinals’ favor — today's game is on their home floor (where SMU is 7-2), and it's the final regular-season home game for graduating seniors Jamie Rattunde (Rollingstone, Minn.), Angie Arrington (Spring Grove, Minn.) and Tessa Stranik (Eatonville, Wash.).

“We've got a lot riding on this game and all the outside variables seem to be on our side — we're at home, it's Senior Day … ,” said Messmann. “We hold all the cards — we control our own destiny. Now all we have to do is go out there and get the job done.”