ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict basketball team suffered its first loss of the season Sunday afternoon, falling 75-67 to Saint Mary's in a nonconference matchup in the third and final day of the Quinlivan & Hughes Tip-Off Tournament in Claire Lynch Hall.
 
The two teams were within two points of each other at the end of each of the first three quarters, but the Cardinals took advantage of free-throw opportunities down the stretch to pull away for the win.
 
After being tied at 27 at halftime, Saint Mary's was able to grab a 49-47 lead thanks to a three by Micaela Meredith at the third-quarter buzzer. The Cardinals went on a six-point run to start the fourth quarter and push their lead to eight, 55-47, and Meredith hit a pair of free throws with four minutes left to play to push the lead to double digits for the first time, 60-49.
 
Saint Mary's went 11-for-12 from the line in the final 4:02 of the game to keep its lead in double digits. Morgan Merritt hit a late three to cut the gap to nine, 73-64, and Grace Wolhowe scored late to make it an eight-point game, but it wasn't enough.
 
Wolhowe hit a three to start the scoring for CSB and the Blazers were able to maintain a slim lead over the Cardinals until late in the first quarter. Merritt hit a pair of baskets to push CSB's lead to 11-8 with 2:45 left in the quarter, but Saint Mary's took its first lead of the game with 1:25 left. A basket in the final minute of the quarter gave the Cardinals a 14-13 lead at the end of the first.
 
Saint Mary's pushed its lead to nine 24-15, less than four minutes into the second, but Alison Newton hit a three, Merritt hit back-to-back threes and Kate Banvetz scored to give the lead back to CSB, 27-26, with 44 seconds left in the second. A late free throw by Brandi Blattner tied the game heading into halftime, and the third quarter was equally as close before the Cardinals were able to control the game in the fourth.
 
Merritt finished with four 3-pointers and scored a team-high 18 points for CSB, which shot 32.4 percent from the field, including just 27 percent from long range. Wolhowe added 16 points and Niki Fokken finished with 11 points. Chelsey Guetter had 13 rebounds and six assists from CSB, which went 9-for-16 from the line and had 35 rebounds.
 
Blattner scored a game-high 21 points and also had 11 rebounds for the Cardinals, who went 26-for-32 from the line. Saint Mary's shot 42.6 percent from the field and had 51 rebounds. Meredith added 18 points and Bridget Pethke finished with 13 points, eight rebounds and six assists.
 
Blattner was named the tournament MVP after helping the Cardinals finish 2-0. Pethke and Meredith were named to the all-tournament team along with the Blazers' Wolhowe and Merritt.
 
CSB is back in action Monday, Nov. 23, when it travels to take on Martin Luther at 7 p.m. in New Ulm, Minn.