CARDINAL WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HOME
(http://sports.smumn.edu/w_basketball)
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2006-2007 Records:
1-3 MIAC, 3-4 Overall
Last Week's Results:
Saint Mary's 54, Macalester 46 / Details
Hamline 90, Saint Mary's 50 / Details
Upcoming Games:
Wed., Jan. 3: St. Olaf at SMU, 7:45 p.m.
Sat., Jan. 6: Gustavus at SMU: 3:15 p.m.
Cardinal News and Notes:
The Cardinals snapped a two-game losing streak with Wednesday's win over Macalester. … Jessica Weisbrod (Rollingstone, Minn.) averaged a team-best 13.5 ppg in SMU's two games last week, including a season-high 16 points in the Cardinals' win over Macalester. … The Cardinals have held their opponents under 50 points in each of SMU's three wins, while allowing 77 or more in three of their three losses — including a season-high 90 points in Wednesday's setback vs. Hamline. … The Pipers' 90 points were the most allowed by SMU since the Cardinals surrendered 92 in a 92-53 loss to Concordia during the 1999-2000 season. … The Cardinals have been outscored 237-159 in the first half, while SMU's opponents hold a slim, 199-180 advantage in the second half. … As a team, the Cardinals are shooting just 56 percent from the free throw line (73-for-129) and have made only 20 of 77 3-pointers.
Cardinals can't come up with repeat of Macalester
win in falling to Pipers in final game before break

Jessica
Weisbrod
16 points in
win vs. Scots
WINONA, Minn. — The plan was for the Saint Mary's University women's basketball team to pick up where they left off following last Monday's 54-46 victory over Macalester when they took to the court Wednesday against Hamline.

According to SMU coach Shawn Stimmel, a two-game winning streak — and a 2-2 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference record — heading into the break would be a perfect early Christmas present.

Hamline, however, decided to be the Grinch that stole the Cardinals' Christmas plans, as the Pipers scored early — and often — en route to a 90-50 conference win over SMU Wednesday.

"We just did not play very well right from the start," said Stimmel, whose team struggled offensively from the opening tip, managing just five points in the game's opening 10 minutes, and trailed by 25, 47-22, at the half. "It was just one of those nights where we couldn't get anything to fall — we didn't shoot well from the field, and we struggled again from the free throw line.

"It just wasn't a good night for us."

Alyse Coates (West St. Paul, Minn.) led the way for SMU, scoring a team-best 12 points, while Jessica Weisbrod (Rollingstone, Minn.) chipped in 11 and Danielle Dehning (Spring Grove, Minn.) added 10.

"Our goal was to head into the break 2-2 in the MIAC — and the Macalester win put us in position to do that," said Stimmel of last Monday's win, which snapped a two-game MIAC losing streak. "That was a big win for us. We needed to gain a little momentum after dropping those two games (to St. Thomas and Saint Benedict) last week.

"And as tough as this conference is, every win is a good win."

And every loss — especially one like Wednesday's vs. the Pipers — can be a little tough to swallow.

"One of the worst parts of a loss like the one against Hamline is, now we've got nearly a month to sit and think about it," said Stimmel, whose team is now off until Jan. 3, when they play host to St. Olaf. "Hopefully it won't sit very well and everyone will come back after the holidays ready to get things back on the right track."