WINONA, Minn. — Bridget Pethke (New London, Wis.) has made a name for herself during her four years as a member of the Saint Mary's University of Minnesota women's basketball team.
 
In fact, it's safe to say she is the most prolific distributor of the basketball the Cardinals have ever seen.
 
Already the school's all-time career record-holder in assists—a mark she set with her first helper against Hamline on Feb. 17—Pethke locked up her second school record, setting the single-season assist record with six assists against Gustavus Thursday evening
 
Yet, while it was the six assists that helped Pethke break the single-season school record, it was her shooting prowess—and that of teammate Micaela Meredith (Bloomington, Minn.)—that told the story against the Gusties.
 
Pethke poured in a game-high 21 points and Meredith added 20—with the two accounted for eight of the team's nine 3-pointers—as the senior duo led the way as the Cardinals downed the Gusties 78-70 in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Playoff semifinals at the Saint Mary's Gym.
 
"That was a great game," understated first-year head coach Brent Pollari, whose Cardinals earned an MIAC Playoff title berth against St. Thomas at 3 p.m. on Saturday in St. Paul, Minn. "It was quite a rollercoaster ride—we played really, really well early, fell behind in the third quarter, and then came back and took control again late.
 
"Give our seniors credit, they did a great job leading the way tonight," Pollari said. "We knew we were going to be in for a tough test, and it was definitely that."
 
The Cardinals could do no wrong early on, as Pethke kicked off the game with back-to-back 3-pointers and the Cardinals scored the first eight points and led 13-2 just three minutes into the game's opening quarter.
 
Saint Mary's continued to have the upper hand over the final seven minutes, taking a 26-15 advantage into the second stanza.
 
And the rollercoaster ride began.
 
Gustavus outscored the Cardinals 16-3 to open the quarter and turn that 11-point Saint Mary's advantage into a two-point, 31-29 Gusties lead. The Cardinals scored the last four points of the half to regain the lead—but it was a slim one, 33-31, at the break.
 
The Gusties picked up right where they left off in the third quarter, using a quarter-opening 14-4 burst to open its biggest lead of the game, 45-37, with five minutes remaining. Eight unanswered Cardinal points—including four from Brigette Audette (Big Lake, Minn.) tied the game at 45-45, but the Gusties knocked down a pair of field goals in the final 50 seconds to snatch a four-point, 49-45 edge heading into the game's final 10 minutes.
 
Back-to-back 3-pointers from Meredith and Pethke got the Cardinals jump-started in the fourth quarter, and that four-point deficit quickly transformed into a nine-point, 65-56 Saint Mary's lead—a lead the Cardinals would not relinquish down the stretch.
 
Pethke finished 7 of 13 from the field—including 5-for-9 from the 3-point line—while Meredith added a 6-for-16 effort with three 3-pointers, to lead the Cardinal offense. Audette also finished in double figures for Saint Mary's, going a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line en route to a 17-point performance, while Brandi Blattner (Eyota, Minn.) added nine points and nine boards.
 
Miranda Rice scored 21 points and Lindsey Johnson chipped in 18 for the Gusties, who closed out the year with a 20-7 overall record.