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(http://sports.smumn.edu/w_basketball)
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2005-2006 Records:
6-12 MIAC, 10-13 Overall
Recent Results:
Saint Benedict 54, Saint Mary's 44 / Details
Hamline 81, Saint Mary's 48 / Details
Saint Mary's 61, St. Thomas 33 / Details
Upcoming Events:
Wed., Feb. 15: SMU at Carleton, 5:45 p.m.
Sat., Feb. 18: St. Olaf at SMU, 1 p.m.
Cardinal News and Notes:
The Cardinals' win over St. Thomas Saturday snapped their three-game losing streak. … SMU's 28-point win vs. UST was its most lopsided win of the season. … St. Thomas' 33 points were the fewest allowed by the Cardinals all season. … Ashley Luehmann (Lewiston, Minn.) scored a team-best 20 points in last Monday's loss vs. Saint Benedict, marking the fourth time this season the SMU senior has scored 20 or more points. … Luehmann scored team-highs of 20, 13 and 18 points in SMU's three games last week — and has led the team in scoring in 14 of their 23 games. … The Cardinals’ 61 points vs. the Tommies was their second-high offensive performance (behind their 64 points in a 64-62 win over Bethel on Feb. 1) in their last 14 games. … SMU's 58 points in last Wednesday's loss to Hamline equalled the most points the Cardinals have scored in a losing effort this year.
No meltdown this time, as Cardinals put together
best overall performance of year in win over UST
Who's Hot?

Ashley
Luehmann
17.0 ppg last
week
WINONA, Minn. — When the Saint Mary's University women's basketball team traveled to St. Paul, Minn., to take on St. Thomas in the team's first meeting of the season on Jan. 14, a second-half meltdown cost the Cardinals in a 51-39 UST win.

The Cardinals were determined not to let that happen again when the two teams squared off again last Saturday afternoon at the SMU Gym.

And they didn't — not by a long shot.

Led by Ashley Luehmann (Lewiston, Minn.) — one of SMU's two graduating seniors honored before the game — the Cardinals bottled up the Tommies from start to finish in cruising to a 61-33 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference victory.

"That's probably the best all-around game we've played all season," said SMU coach Dan Messmann. "We knew that (St. Thomas') strength was their 3-point shooting, so we made sure they didn't get any good looks.

"Defensively, I was extremely pleased with our performance," continued Messmann, whose team held the Tommies to 25 percent shooting from the field (12-for-48) — including 0-for-17 from behind the 3-point line — and forced 27 UST turnovers. "Offensively we went through a few ups-and-downs, but overall, it was a very good effort."

Luehmann netted a game-high 18 points — including 10 of the Cardinals' first 12 points — in helping the Cardinals snap their three-game losing streak. Calla Swenson (Blooming Prairie, Minn.) chipped in 11 points for SMU (6-12 MIAC, 10-13 overall), while Eric Opdahl's double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds were team highs for the Tommies, who have now lost seven straight in falling to 6-12 in the MIAC and 9-14 overall.

"St. Thomas has always been a big rivalry game for us," said Messmann. "And for us to come out (Saturday), on Senior Day, and play like we did, it's great.

"The fact that the win came against St. Thomas just makes it that much sweeter."