ST. PAUL, Minn. — Through the game's opening 20 minutes Wednesday evening, the Saint Mary's University of Minnesota women's basketball team boasted one player—Brandi Blattner (Eyota, Minn.)—who had nearly as many points as the entire Hamline team.
 
Fueled by Blattner's 12 first-half points, the Cardinals raced out to a 38-15 halftime advantage in the teams' Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference matchup at Hutton Arena.
 
Over the final 20 minutes, the Pipers clamped down on Blattner and did not allow the sophomore to add to her 12-point first-half effort—but they did not have an answer to the trio of Alexa Huisman (Adrian, Minn.), Emma Schaefer (Roseville, Minn.), and Sam Jones (White Bear Lake, Minn.), who combined for 22 of the team's 27 second-half points in leading Saint Mary's to a 65-49 victory.
 
With Blattner leading the way, the Cardinals could do no wrong in the first half, scoring the game's first seven points and outscoring the Pipers 21-4 through the first 10 minutes.
 
And it was more of the same in the second quarter, as the Cardinals scored 11 of the quarter's final 15 points to take a commanding 37-15 lead into the locker room at the half.
 
Hamline made things interesting, cutting into the Cardinals' 32-point halftime lead by holding an 11-6 scoring edge in the third quarter, and continued to whittle away, closing the gap to eight 43-35 early in the fourth quarter.
 
That, however, would be as close as the Pipers would get, as the Cardinals outscored Hamline 21-14 the rest of the way to ice the win—and snap a two-game losing streak.
 
Huisman finished with a team-high 14 points, while Jones added 13, and Blattner and Schaefer chipped in 12 and 11, respectively. Blattner also added a team-high 11 rebounds for her eighth double-double of the season.
 
Saint Mary's shot 36 percent from the field (14-for-31)—and were just 4 of 25 from the 3-point line—while going 18-for-22 from the free throw line. Hamline, meanwhile, struggled to an 18-for-66 effort from the field (21 percent) and made just 6 of 29 3-point attempts.
 
Alaina Quaranta scored a team-high 15 points for the Pipers, while Reilly Geistfeld added 14 points and 12 rebounds, and Kaeli Stayer tallied 11 points.
 
The Cardinals (7-6 MIAC, 13-7 overall) are back in action on Saturday, returning home to the Saint Mary's Gym for a 1 p.m. conference matchup against St. Olaf.
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