WINONA, Minn. – Sophomore Chloee Smith compiled her sixth 20-point effort of the season for the St. Olaf College women's basketball team in a 71-54 loss to Saint Mary's University in Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) play on Wednesday night at Saint Mary's Fieldhouse.

Smith led all scorers with 20 points for her third 20-point performance in the last four games for St. Olaf (6-10, 0-9 MIAC), but Saint Mary's (8-7, 6-3 MIAC) outscored the Oles by 13 in the second quarter to break a tie and led the rest of the way. The Cardinals scored 23 points off 21 St. Olaf turnovers and scored 42 points in the paint in the win.

Smith shot 8-for-17 from the field, including 2-for-4 from behind the arc, and 2-for-2 at the free-throw line on her way to 20 points. The sophomore added five rebounds, four steals and one assist. Senior Sarah Tangen was also in double figures and tied her season high with 11 points. Sophomore Joy Brandenstein knocked down 2-of-3 three-pointers to tally eight points for the Oles, who shot 45.7 percent (21-for-46) for their fourth-highest percentage of the season.

Brianna Nusbaum was 7-for-9 from the field while scoring a team-high 16 points for Saint Mary's while also contributing two rebounds, five assists, and four steals. Rylie Sternquist and Lindsey Lettner scored 12 and 11 points, respectively, for the hosts, who shot 49.2 percent (30-for-61) from the field as a team. The Cardinals shot better from the field than they did from the free-throw line, where they were 46.2 percent (6-for-13).

Both teams shot exactly 50.0 percent from the field in a first quarter where neither team led by more than four. Three-pointers by Brandenstein and sophomore Kyla Elsbury gave St. Olaf a pair of three-point leads in the first half of the quarter. Smith scored all seven of her points in the final 2:10 of the quarter, as the teams went into the second locked at 17-17.

Saint Mary's broke the game open in the second quarter by shooting 71.4 percent (10-for-14) overall in the period, led by a nine-point quarter from Nusbaum. The Cardinals turned seven St. Olaf turnovers into nine points and scored 20 of their 22 points in the paint to open up a 39-26 halftime lead.

St. Olaf shot nearly 20.0 percent better (50.0 percent to 30.8 percent) from the field than Saint Mary's in the third quarter but only trimmed one point off its deficit. The Oles got their deficit to single digits twice in the third but could not get any closer than nine. Smith matched her seven-point first quarter with seven more in the fourth.

The Oles will play five of their next six games at Skoglund Center, beginning with a 1 p.m. tip-off against crosstown-rival Carleton College on Saturday, Jan. 25 on Alumnae Day.