WINONA, Minn. – The Scots traveled to Winona this evening, as the Macalester women's basketball team took on the Cardinals of Saint Mary's. Macalester fought hard, but fell to the Cardinals 73-65. The Scots are now 4-11 (3-9 MIAC).

Senior guard Solana Cushing (Minneapolis, Minn./South) started the Scots off strong, sinking one from beyond the arc. This spurred a 14-2 start for Macalester, with junior guard Andrea Palmen (Kenosha, Wis./The Prairie School), and sophomore guard/forwards Katherine Norquist (Chicago, Ill./Walter Payton College Prep), and Peyton Starks (St. Louis, Mo./John Burroughs School) getting in on the action. Junior guard Caitlin Panos (North Andover, Mass./Andover) and Maia Pedrosa (South San Francisco, Calif./Urban School of San Francisco) added to the Scots' lead, and led 20-12, after the first 10 minutes.

In the second, the Cardinals opened with a 12-0 run to overtake the lead. Palmen cut Saint Mary's lead to two, 24-22 with 6:19 left in the half. Macalester continued to keep it a one-score game until Starks tied the game at 29 with just over three minutes on the clock. The Scots would then tie the game back up at 31. Norquist's free throw, and Panos' important three-pointer gave Macalester a 35-31 lead at the break.

Cushing and Norquist made buckets to keep their lead over Saint Mary's before the Cardinals took the lead 40-39, after three minutes. Sophomore Nicole Norton (Brussels, Wis./Southern Door) kept the Cardinals within one, but the Cardinals outscored the Scots 12-4 in the final four minutes of the quarter to lead 54-45.

Macalester continued to battle, with Starks, Norquist, and Cushing all adding to Macalester's total. Cushing answered a three-pointer from the Cardinals with one of her own with 5:47 on the clock, to keep the Scots within nine points, 63-54. Norquist, Starks, and first year Ellie Corbett (Austin, Texas/James Bowie) put in buckets for the Scots and Cushing sank yet another three-pointer in the final seconds of the game, but Macalester fell 73-65.

Cushing scored a career high 20 points this evening, knocking in four from beyond the arc. Norquist followed with 15 points. Starks led the Scots in rebounds with eight, and totaled four assists.

Macalester's next game will be on Saturday January 21. The Scots will host Bethel, with tip off at 3:00 p.m.