WAVERLY, Iowa - The No.7-ranked Wartburg women's basketball team will host Saint Mary's of Minnesota on Friday night at Levick Arena, the first matchup between the teams since 2002. 

Friday, Dec. 20 - 7 pm - Levick Arena
Wartburg Knights (8-1, 3-0 A-R-C) vs. Saint Mary's Cardinals (1-5, 1-3 MIAC)

Matchup Notes

• The teams first played each other on Nov. 23, 2002 at the Luther Tip-Off Classic
• This was the opening season game for Saint Mary's 
• Wartburg took an 82-76 victory after coming back from an eight-point halftime lead by the Cardinals

Saint Mary's

• The Cardinals have scored 386 points this season
• Sophomore Shayley Vesel leads Saint Mary's with 97 points, averaging 16.2 per game and leads the team with 35 rebounds
• Sophomroe Brooklyn Paulson has notched 87 points for the Cardinals and averages 14.5 per game 
• Last time out, Saint Mary's took a 70-68 win over Macalester College

Wartburg 

• The Knights have notched 743 points this season, averaging 82.6 points per game
• Junior Payton Draper leads the Knights with 99 points, and scored a career high 16 points against UW-Stout
• Senior Emma Gerdes has scored 98 points for the Orange and Black and leads the team with 45 assists 
• Junior Tori Hazard has scored 50 points and has contributed 40 rebounds, 12 steals and 12 blocks 

Last Time Out

Wartburg hosted Nebraska Wesleyan on Saturday, Dec. 14 and took a 108-68 victory, handing the Prairie Wolves their first American Rivers Conference loss this season. Starting off the game, Emma Gerdes notched 19 points for the Orange and Black in the first half, contributing to a 59-28 lead at the half. The Knight's defense held the Prairie Wolves to only scoring 14 points in the first, second and third quarter with Nebraska Wesleyan scoring 26 in the fourth. Payton Draper, Tori Hazard and Bailey Naig each contributed 11 points for Wartburg. The Knights had 49 rebounds, 12 steals and seven blocks and were 12-of-34 from the arc and 22-27 at the free throw line.