By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
ST. PAUL, Minn. — On a day when Saint Mary's University of Minnesota junior Brandi Blattner became the 11^th player in program history to reach 1,000 career points, it was the Cardinals' lone senior—Alexa Huisman—who shined the brightest.
 
Huisman started hot—and stayed hot—in leading the Saint Mary's women's basketball team to an 80-68 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference win over Hamline Saturday afternoon at Hutton Arena.
 
After accounting for five of the Cardinals' 11 first-quarter points, Huisman turned up the heat, pouring in 12 second-quarter points—giving her 17 through the game's first 20 minutes.
 
And she was just getting warmed up.
 
With a 3-pointer on her first shot of the third quarter, Huisman equaled her career high—and she would add 12 more points over the final two quarters to finish with 32 points.
 
But wait, there's more.
 
Along with her career-high 32 points, Huisman also hauled in a career-best 10 rebounds en route to her first collegiate double-double.
 
Blattner, meanwhile, came into Saturday's showdown with Hamline needing 15 points to reach the 1,000-career point plateau—and with 2:05 remaining in the third quarter, the junior knocked down a 3-pointer of her own for career points No. 998, 999, and 1,000.
 
Fueled by Huisman and Blattner, who combined for nine first-quarter points, the Cardinals jumped out to an early 7-2 lead, but Hamline answered ending the quarter on a 9-2 run to knot the game at 11-11.
 
It would take the Pipers nearly five minutes to score their first two points of the second quarter, while Saint Mary's—behind six points from Huisman and two each from Blattner, Rachel Kedl (Lamberton, Minn.), Mary Wintroath (Suffern, N.Y.), and Shayley Vesel (Austin, Minn.)—rattled off 14 unanswered points to build a 25-11 advantage.
 
And the Cardinals weren't finished, closing the quarter by scoring eight of the final 14 points to take a 16-point, 33-17 lead into the locker room at the break.
 
Saint Mary's remained in complete control in the third quarter, pushing its lead to as many as 27, 49-22 on a 3-pointer by Hallie Schmeling (Onalaska, Wis.) midway through the quarter.
 
Trailing by 19, 62-43 to open the fourth quarter, the Pipers made things interesting, cutting the deficit to 12, 75-63—thanks to a 20-12 start to the period—but it was too little, too late, as the Cardinals held on for their third straight win.
 
Along with Huisman's 32 points and Blattner's 19, the Cardinals—who shot 49 percent from the field (28-for-57) and made a season-high 11 3-pointers—also got 10 points from Kirsten Keefe (Chatfield, Minn.).
 
Hamline (4-6 MIAC, 4-13 overall) had three players score in double figures, led by Reilly Geistfeld with 20. Kaeli Stayer chipped in 16 points and Alaina Quaranta added 11. 
 
The Cardinals (4-5 MIAC, 9-7 overall) return to Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play on Wednesday, as Saint Mary's travels to St. Olaf's Skoglund Center in Northfield, Minn., for a 7 p.m. showdown with the Oles.