WINONA, Minn. — Hamline fell to Saint Mary's University of Minnesota 54-51 in a closely contested matchup on Wednesday, with both teams exchanging the lead three times. Despite the Pipers' 11 steals and 20 points off the bench, Saint Mary's secured the win.

The first quarter commenced with Camille Cummings giving the Pipers an early advantage through a layup at 9:33. Saint Mary's responded with Ayla Olson scoring from the free-throw line, putting them ahead briefly at 4-3. Josie Schmidt's fast-break layup at 4:27 extended Hamline's lead to 9-4, prompting a timeout from the Cardinals. Emma Lamppa's three-pointer at 2:43 increased the margin to 12-4, but Brianna Nusbaum's back-to-back layups narrowed the gap to 12-8. With 11 seconds remaining, Cummings converted two free throws to secure a 14-12 lead for Hamline at the end of the quarter.

Cummings initiated the scoring in the second quarter for the Pipers with a three-pointer at 9:07, assisted by Lauren Cooper, establishing a 17-12 lead. Anna Rynkiewich added a jumper in the paint at 8:03, extending the visitor's advantage. Olson responded for Saint Mary's with a three-pointer at 7:45, cutting the deficit to 19-15. Despite turnovers, Hamline maintained control with Sophie Stork's layup at 5:57, pushing the score to 23-15. Lindsey Lettner's three-pointer at 0:09 brought the Cardinals within one, concluding the quarter with Hamline narrowly leading 27-26.

In the third quarter, Saint Mary's capitalized on their inside game, scoring 12 of their 16 points in the paint. Rylie Sternquist opened the scoring with a layup at 9:46, giving Saint Mary's a narrow lead. Hamline's Cooper responded with a fast-break layup at 8:06 to keep the game within reach. Despite a three-pointer from Stork at 5:33, Hamline struggled with turnovers, committing five in the quarter. In the final minute, a layup by Kali Olson extended Saint Mary's lead to 42-38, before Schmidt's free throw closed the scoring for the Pipers at 39 points. Saint Mary's ended the quarter leading 42-39.

In the fourth quarter, Saint Mary's maintained their lead with key plays from Olson, who scored two layups in the paint, assisted both times by Hadley Sammons, widening the gap to 48-39 at the 7:38 mark. Hamline responded with a three-pointer by Lamppa at 6:58, followed by another three-pointer from Lamppa at 4:20, narrowing the deficit to 51-46. With just 27 seconds left, Cummings made a crucial three-pointer for the Pipers, bringing them within one point at 52-51. However, Julia Koch of Saint Mary's sealed the game by making two free throws with 11 seconds remaining, resulting in a 54-51 victory for Saint Mary's.

Cummings led the team with 22 points, converting 8 of 18 field goal attempts, including two 3-pointers. Lamppa added nine points, hitting three 3-pointers on six attempts. Schmidt contributed with four steals and scored seven points. Cooper made an impact with three steals and two assists.

The Pipers will wrap up the semester on the road, taking on Bethany Lutheran in a non-conference match up on Saturday, December 13 with a 1 PM tipoff in Mankato, Minn.