STOCKTON, Calif. — For the final time during the 2019-20 regular season, Saint Mary's Women's Basketball took the road in conference play with a late-afternoon contest against the University of the Pacific. With the sixth-spot in the conference standings up for grabs, the Tigers were able to gather a stronger hold on it following a 65-53 win in Stockton, dropping the Gaels to 6-10 in conference play with just two games remaining.
 
SOMETHIN' 'BOUT SAM
 
Saturday became the Sam Simons show in the second half after she led the Gaels in scoring yet again against the Tigers. Simons put up a game-best 22 points, including 13 in the second half when she roared to life as the Gaels attempted to make a comeback. She scored seven points early in the fourth quarter to trim the Gaels deficit to just six points. On the night, Simons went 9-15 and also added seven rebounds to tie for the Saint Mary's lead with Madeline Holland, while dishing out three helpers.
 
EARLY FOURTH SPURT
 
Saint Mary's entered the fourth quarter trailing by 13 but they began to claw their way back into the game thanks to the efforts of Simons and others. Holland hit the second bucket of the quarter, which made it a 50-40 score, and then Simons got the next five points. After a bucket from the Tigers, Taycee Wedin hit a quick three and with 4:41 remaining, the Gaels were suddenly down by just six points. SMC only managed five more points the rest of the way as the offense went cold, but despite trailing most of the game, they were able to close the gap in the fourth.
 
AMONG OTHER NUMBERS
 
Most of the three-point shooting on the night came courtesy of Wedin, who went 5-11 from three (Gaels were 7-28 as a team)…the Gaels eight assists mark just the second time in the last 11 games they have failed to record at least 10 assists in a game…Saint Mary's has now shot below 33% from three in each of their last six losses…the first ten free throws of the game for the Gaels came in the third quarter, where they went 7-10, and 8-12 for the game.
 
UP NEXT
 
The Gaels are home for their final two games of the regular season, taking on Santa Clara University and the University of San Francisco. The matchup with Santa Clara gets things rolling on Thursday night at 6:30 pm inside University Credit Union Pavilion.
 
#GaelsRise – For ticket information to all home basketball games, call the SMC Ticket Office today at 925-631-4689 or click the ticket link here to purchase your seats now.