WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University of Minnesota women's basketball team made it look easy as 1-2-3 Sunday afternoon in its nonconference game against UW-Eau Claire.
 
1: Emma Schaefer (Roseville, Minn.) scored a game-high 18 points, hauled in seven rebounds, dished out six assists and added three steals.
 
2: Sam Jones (White Bear Lake, Minn.) poured in 16 points and had three rebounds.
 
3: Brandi Blattner (Eyota, Minn.) delivered a double-double of 14 points and 13 rebounds—her second straight and fifth of the season—and chipped in three assists and three steals.
 
And with that trio leading the way, the Cardinals put an end to their season-high two-game losing streak, cruising to a 65-49 win over the Blugolds at the Saint Mary's Gym.
 
UW-Claire scored the game's first four points, but Saint Mary's answered with five straight for a 5-4 lead. The Cardinals would lead by as many as three—and trail by as many as two—over the final nine minutes of the first quarter, before settling for a two-point, 13-11 advantage heading into the second stanza.
 
A stanza dominated by the Cardinals' dynamic duo of Jones and Blattner.
 
Jones and Blattner combined for 15 of the Cardinals' 18 points in the second quarter, as Blattner rained in all nine of her first-half points, while Jones chipped in six of her 11 over the game's opening 20 minutes, as Saint Mary's built its lead to nine, 27-18, before taking a six-point, 31-25 cushion into the locker room at the half.
 
Schaefer did most of her damage in the third quarter, as the senior knocked down three of her five 3-pointers, helping Saint Mary's grab a 10-point, 45-35 lead heading into the game's final 10 minutes.
 
UW-Eau Claire made one final push, scoring six of the first seven points of the final quarter to cut the Cardinal lead to five, 46-41, but Saint Mary's pulled away, outscoring the Blugolds 19-8 the rest of the way to seal the win.
 
The Cardinals shot 38 percent from the field (22-for-57) with eight 3-pointers, while going 13-for-18 from the free throw line—including a perfect 10-for-10 to account for their final 10 points of the game.
 
UW-Eau Claire, which made just 19 of 61 field goals—including a 3-for-22 showing from behind the arc—got 12 points from Anna Graaskamp and 11 from Kayla Hanley in the losing effort.
 
The Cardinals (7-3 overall) are now off until Dec. 29, when they return from the Christmas break with a 5 p.m. nonconference game against Lawrence at the Saint Mary's Gym.