LOS ANGELES — Wrapping up the month of January, Saint Mary's Women's Basketball had to hit the floor inside Gersten Pavilion with some confidence. When the Gaels last played the Loyola Marymount, they took care of business handily in Moraga. Incidentally, that was the last time the Gaels tasted victory, mired in a five-game losing streak that saw them fall from the top of the conference to the middle of the pack. Things changed on Thursday night, as the Gaels beat the Lions again, with a final of 70-61 to improve to 10-11 (5-5) and dropping the Lions to 7-16 (3-7)
 
ALL ABOUT THAT DEFENSE
 
The Gaels came out playing some stifling defense in the first half, creating difficult shots for the Lions, who went just 8-29 (28%) from the field in the opening half. They were also able to force the Lions into nine first-half turnovers, just one shy of the season average forced for an entire game (10). For the game, the numbers were nearly as impressive, especially from three-point range, where the Gaels defense held the Lions to just 3-22 from distance. Five different Gaels recorded steals, with Madeline Holland and Tyra Moe each swiping a pair.
 
TEAM BASKETBALL
 
At times this season, a typical box score for Saint Mary's basketball will show a few players with huge performances, stealing the spotlight. That was not the case on Thursday night, with all seven of the nine Gaels who saw minutes inside Gersten Pavilion finding their way into the scorebook. It was a particularly strong night for Moe, who posted her first career double-double in the win with 11 points and a career-best 12 rebounds. Four Gaels scored in double-digits, led by Sam Simons with 19, and followed by Taycee Wedin with 15.
 
BACK TO FORM
 
Not that the Gaels had been struggling from three-point range in recent weeks, but SMC found its stroke from beyond the arc on Thursday night. The last time the Gaels were over 40% from beyond the arc was the last time these teams played, all the way back on January 4 (40% exactly). In particular, the three-point shot was falling early in the third quarter, where Saint Mary's went 4-4 to open up the frame. For the game, the Gaels were 50% (12-24), with Wedin knocking down a game-best five treys.
 
QUOTABLE
 
"We tried to stop their posts early, get some early stops to lead to defensive rebounds," Tyra Moe, following her first double-double. "Communication was way better for us than in the past, and that was a big key to this win."
 
UP NEXT
 
The road trip to Southern California wraps up on Saturday as the Gaels welcome in the final month of the regular season against Pepperdine University. The Gaels and Waves tip-off in Malibu at 2:00 pm, and will head back to the Bay for a very important home stand against Portland and Gonzaga next week.