By ALEX NUEHRING
Saint Mary's Sports Information Intern
 
WINONA, Minn. — Points were at a premium for the Saint Mary's University of Minnesota and Carleton women's basketball teams in their Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference rematch at the Saint Mary's Gym.
 
Fortunately, the Cardinals came up with a big fourth quarter rally—both offensively and defensively—to earn the 59-49 victory.
 
Kirsten Keefe (Chatfield, Minn.) scored seven of her nine points in the game's final four minutes, as the Cardinals scored the game's final 11 points—erasing a one-point, 49-48 Carleton lead and Saint Mary's a sweep in the teams' two conference meetings this season.
 
The Knights got off to a fast start on their way to building an 18-11 lead at the end of the first quarter. But Saint Mary's came roaring back, using a 9-0 second quarter run to grab a one-point, 29-28 lead into halftime.
 
The Cardinals defense stymied the Knights for the majority of the third quarter, but a late, 7-0 Carleton run tied the game at 39-39 as the teams entered the fourth quarter.
 
The Cardinals and Knights proceeded to trade leads through the first six-plus minutes of the fourth quarter, with Saint Mary's clinging to a one-point, 50-49 lead with 3:25 left in the game. That's when Alexa Huisman (Adrian, Minn.) stole the ball, passed it to Keefe, who made a beautiful pass over a Knights' defender to Blattner for a layup.
 
Keefe followed that up with a big 3-pointer to push the Cardinal's lead to six points with 2:02 remaining, and then scored the game's last four points via the free-throw line to ice the Saint Mary's win.
 
Blattner led the way for the Cardinals, scoring 20 points and adding nine rebounds, while Abby Winter (Winona, Minn.) was right behind her with 16 points and three rebounds.
 
The Knights were led by Cece Leone's double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds, while Anne Hamilton scored 12 points.
 
Saint Mary's (4-5 MIAC, 9-7 overall) returns to the court on Saturday, when they travel to Hamline's Hutton Arena in St. Paul, Minn., for a 3 p.m. MIAC matchup against the Pipers.