WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University of Minnesota and UW-La Crosse women's basketball teams headed into Tuesday's nonconference game boasting high-powered offensive attacks.
 
The Cardinals erupted for 88 points in a season-opening win over Crown last Saturday, and followed that up with a 75-point showing in dropping Saint Benedict a day later.
 
UW-La Crosse, meanwhile, poured in a season-high 86 points in an 86-64 win over St. Scholastica last Saturday—it was the Eagles' highest offensive output since scoring 88 in an 88-80, double-overtime win over UW-Stout on Jan. 27, 2010.
 
Fortunately for coach Brent Pollari, it was the Cardinals who picked up right where they left off, scoring 76 points—while holding the Eagles to just 65—in a 76-65 Saint Mary's victory at the Saint Mary's Gym.
 
The Eagles knocked down the game's first basket—and never trailed through the opening 20 minutes.
 
UW-L built leads as big as six twice in the first quarter, before settling for a two-point, 18-16 advantage. The Eagles built their lead to seven, 23-16 with five unanswered points to open the second quarter—and led by six, 29-23, with 2:01 remaining.
 
The Cardinals, however, were unfazed, scoring six unanswered points to knot the game at 29-29, and, after Sydney Kannel's layup/free throw three-point play gave UW-L a 32-29 cushion, Emma Schaefer (Roseville, Minn.) drilled a 3-pointer with 30 seconds remaining to make it a 32-32 game at the half.
 
Saint Mary's grabbed its first lead of the game early in the third quarter, as Bridget Pethke (New London, Wis.) knocked down a 3-pointer to give the Cardinals a 37-36 advantage.
 
And the Cardinals were just getting warmed up.
 
By the time the third quarter ended, Saint Mary's lead had ballooned to 13, 55-42, and UW-L was not able to get any closer than seven over the game's final 10 minutes in dropping to 2-2 overall on the season.
 
Schaefer led the way for the high-powered Cardinals' offense, scoring a team-high 17 points—including a 4-for-5 effort from 3-point range. Micaela Meredith (Bloomington, Minn.) and Pethke also finished in double figures for Saint Mary's, scoring 14 and 10 points, respectively.
 
The Cardinals shot 40 percent from the field (23-for-57) and drained 11 3-pointers, while adding a 19-for-28 effort from the free throw line.
 
Emma Brauer scored a game-high 20 points, while Jenna Anderson added 11 and Mikayla Simmons chipped in 10 for the Eagles.
 
The Cardinals are back in action on Sunday, hosting UW-Eau Claire in a 3 p.m. nonconference game at the Saint Mary's Gym.