2017-18 Roster | 2017-18 Schedule | 2016-17 Final Statistics

WINONA, Minn. — Here's a quick-hit, by-the-numbers look at the 2017-18 Saint Mary's University of Minnesota women's basketball team.

Head coach:
• Brent Pollari (3rd season)
 
A Year Ago:
• 7-11 MIAC (7th) | 13-12 Overall
 
Top Returners:
• Brandi Blattner (Junior, Guard | 25 GP, 14.4 ppg, 9.8 rpg (2^nd in MIAC), 19 blocks, 31 steals, 10 double-doubles | 2-time All-MIAC First Team … 2015-16 MIAC All-First-Year Team … 2-time D3hoops.com All-West Region … 2015-16 D3hooops.com West Region Rookie of the Year).
• Alexa Huisman (Senior, Guard | 25 GP, 9.2 ppg, 3.5 rpg, team-high 46 3-pointers), 29 assists, 21 steals).
• Brittney Flom (22 GP, 4.2 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 7 assists, 4 steals, 14 3-pointers).
 
Key Losses:
• Emma Schaefer (25 GP, 10.6 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 27 3-pointers, 120 assists, 50 steals … 2-time All-MIAC First-Team (2016-17, 2014-15), 2015-16 H-M All-MIAC).
• Sam Jones (24 GP, 10.1 ppg, ,5.6 rpg, 31 assists, 7 steals, 4 blocks, .765 FT %—65-for-85).
• Brigette Audette (19 GP, 5.1 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 23 assists, 11 steals, 1 block)
 
By The Numbers:
• 10, 18: Brandi Blattner (Eyota, Minn.) closed out the year with 10 double-doubles last season, and owns 18 double-doubles through her first two years as a Cardinal.
• 12: Emma Schaefer (Roseville, Minn.) recorded a career-high 12 assists against Concordia on Dec. 3—it was the highest single-game effort since Jamie Rattunde dished out 12 against Coe on Nov. 26, 2003.
• 20+: Brandi Blattner (Eyota, Minn.) scored a career-high 28 points twice last season—vs. Bethel on Dec. 7 and St. Olaf on Feb. 4. She was one of three Cardinals who posted career-high games of 20 or more points. Alexa Huisman (Adrian, Minn.) netted a career-best 20 points in both of the Cardinals' meetings against Concordia this season, while Sam Jones (White Bear Lake, Minn.) finished with 21 against the University of Dubuque on Nov. 15.
 
Did You Know?:
• The Cardinals had six different players lead or share the team lead in scoring last season—Brandi Blattner (Eyota, Minn. / 12 times), Alexa Huisman (Adrian, Minn. / 6 times), Emma Schaefer (Roseville, Minn. / 5 times), Sam Jones (White Bear Lake, Minn. / 3 times), Kirsten Keefe (Chatfield, Minn. / 1 time) and Brigette Audette (Big Lake, Minn. / 1 time).
 
Did You Know, Part II?
• The Cardinals won at least 11 of their first 15 games last season—achieving such a feat for the fourth time in the last five seasons.
 
Off The Court:
• Emma Schaefer (Roseville, Minn.), Brigette Audette (Big Lake, Minn.), Brandi Blattner (Eyota, Minn.), Danielle Higgins (Eyota, Minn.), and Kirsten Keefe (Chatfield, Minn.) represented the Cardinals on the 2016-17 MIAC All-Academic Team.  
 
This and That:
• The Cardinals' Brandi Blattner (Eyota, Minn.) was named D3hoops.com Third-Team All-Region, while also landing a spot on the All-MIAC First-Team. … The Cardinals put together two, five-game winning streaks a year ago—streaks that accounted for 10 of the team's 13 wins. … The Cardinals scored 60 or more points in 12 of their 13 wins—the lone exception, a 56-52 win over Macalester on Jan. 4. On the flip side, Saint Mary's was held under 60 points in 11 of its 12 losses—the lone exception, a 77-66 loss to nationally ranked St. Thomas on Feb. 15. … Blattner closed out the season with double-doubles in two of the Cardinals' last three games—scoring 18 points and hauling in 14 rebounds against St. Catherine on Feb. 11, while adding a 12-point, 15-rebound effort in the team's season-finale against Saint Benedict on Feb. 18. … Blattner hauled in 10 or more rebounds 12 times last season. … Blattner owned three games of 15 or more rebounds—including a season-high 17-rebound effort against Carleton on Nov. 30. Blattner's 17 rebounds vs. Carleton on Nov. 30 were just two shy of her school-record 19-rebound performance against UW-Eau Claire on Dec. 29, 2015. … Blattner scored 10 or more points in 21 of the team's 25 games—including four games of 20 or more points. … Sam Jones (White Bear Lake, Minn.) scored 14 points and hauled in a career-high 10 rebounds against Concordia on Jan. 21 en route to her first collegiate double-double. … Blattner and Kirsten Keefe (Chatfield, Minn.) each recorded double-doubles against Carleton on Nov. 30—Blattner scored 23 points and added 17 rebounds, while Keefe chipped in 10 points and 11 boards. It was Keefe's first collegiate double-double. … Blattner closed out the season with a team-best 14.4 ppg scoring average. Emma Schaefer (Roseville, Minn. / 10.6 ppg) and Jones (10.1 ppg) also averaged in double figures. … Blattner owned a team-leading 246 rebounds (9.6 rpg). … Blattner has now recorded 233 and 246 rebounds in her first two seasons as a Cardinal. … The Cardinals finished with 141 3-pointers—including a season-high 11 against St. Catherine on Jan. 7. … The Cardinals' 11 3-pointers were the most since knocking down 12 against St. Olaf on Feb. 13, 2016. … Huisman led the team with 46 3-pointers—including a season- and career-high five against both Concordia on Jan. 21 and St. Olaf on Feb. 4. … Six Cardinals owned 10 or more 3-pointers and 10 of the 13 players on the Saint Mary's roster drained at least one 3-pointer this season. … Schaefer led the team with a career-best 120 assists. … Saint Mary's put five players in double figures twice, achieving the feat against both the University of Dubuque and St. Catherine. … The Cardinals had 10 players score two or more points in their 66-40 win over Viterbo on Nov. 22. … Saint Mary's pulled down a school-record 61 rebounds against Carleton on Nov. 30. … Saint Mary's averaged 61.0 ppg, while limiting its opponents to a 60.4 ppg scoring average. … The Cardinals posted back-to-back games of 80 or more points last season—scoring 80 in an 80-73 win over St. Catherine on Jan. 7, and netting a season-high 81 in a 81-79 victory over Augsburg on Jan. 11. Saint Mary's eclipsed the 80-point plateau five times in 2015-16, including a season-high 88-point showing against Crown on Nov. 21, 2015. … The Cardinals played two overtime games last season—beating Carleton 61-60 on Nov. 30, while falling to Saint Benedict 60-55 in their season-finale on Feb. 18. … Saint Mary's 61-60 win over Carleton on Nov. 30 was its first overtime game since a 79-73 win over Concordia on Feb. 7, 2015. … The Cardinals' 60-55 loss to Saint Benedict on Feb. 18 snapped a streak of four straight OT wins. … With their 76-64 win over the University of Dubuque on Nov. 15, the Cardinals won their season-opener in each of the last four seasons—dating back to a 63-58 loss to Elmhurst to kick off the 2011-12 season.