Jan. 22, 2004
San Diego, CA - The Saint Mary's women's basketball team suffered their first West Coast Conference of the season on Thursday night in San Diego, CA, when the University of San Diego beat the Gaels 53-45 at the Jenny Craig Pavilion. With the loss the Gaels drop to 3-1 in conference play and 11-7 on the season. The loss also snaps Saint Mary's four-game winning streak and breaks the Toreros five-game losing streak. San Diego improved 1-3 in conference play and 6-11 on the season.
Saint Mary's shot 29 percent from the field and 13 percent from 3-point range, while the Toreros shot 30 percent from the floor and 35 percent from 3-point range. Saint Mary's committed 28 turnovers, while San Diego committed 26.
In the game the Gaels were led by Evynn Van Burger, who scored 13 points and grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds. Triola Jackson added 10 points and eight rebounds, Monica Mertle added seven points and four rebounds and Savannah Williams added four points.
To start the second half, the Gaels scored four points over the first three minutes to open a 29-22 lead with 17:01 left in the game. San Diego finally got on the scoreboard in the second half after solid defensive pressure by the Gaels on a free throw to make the score 29-23 with 16:56 left.
San Diego answered the Gaels start with a 9-0 run to take its first lead of the game since the first half with a 31-29 lead with 13:20 left in the game. After a Mertle free throw the Toreros hit a 3-pointer to give them a 34-30 lead with 12:43 left in the game.
The Toreros opened up their biggest lead of the game at 42-36 with 7:20 left in the game. Saint Mary's cut the lead to 42-40 after three free throws by Van Burger with 6:13 left in the game. San Diego opened up its biggest lead of the game at 47-42 with over minute left in the game until it iced the game with free throws at the end.
In the first half, Van Burger helped the Gaels jump out to an early 6-3 lead with 16:25 remaining in the first half after consecutive baskets. Mertle followed with back-to-back baskets to open up an 8-5 lead with 14:36 left.
The Gaels built their lead to 13-6 after a free throw by Jackson with 12:19 remaining in the first half. Mertle added another basket and Van Burger added a layup to open up Saint Mary's largest lead of the half at 17-7 with 8:40 left in the half.
After opening up a 10-point lead, the Toreros hit eight consecutive free throws, to cut the lead to 17-15 with 5:19 left in the first half. The Gaels snapped San Diego's 8-0 run when Lauren Shaughnessy hit a jump shot with 3:46 left in the half to give Saint Mary's a 19-15 lead.
Saint Mary's answered San Diego's 8-0 run with an 8-0 itself to open up a 25-15 lead with 1:39 left in the half after a Van Burger 3-pointer. The Toreros came back with a 7-0 run to close the half, giving the Gaels a 25-22 halftime lead.
In the first half, Van Burger led the Gaels with 10 points, six rebounds and two steals, Mertle added six points and three rebounds and Jackson had three points and seven rebounds. Saint Mary's defense held the Toreros to 20.8 percent shooting from the field and caused 15 turnovers.
Saint Mary's returns to action on Sunday, January 25, when it travels to Santa Clara, CA to face the Santa Clara Broncos at 1 p.m. at the Leavey Center.
