MORAGA, Calif. — After a short week of basketball that saw just one road contest, Saint Mary's Women's Basketball returns home to UCU Pavilion on Thursday for a pair of home games against Pepperdine and LMU. The Gaels played considerably better in their most recent game at BYU, hanging tough with a potential WCC title contender before dropping the game last Thursday. The Gaels are starting to get healthy at the right time and are poising themselves for a second-half run.
 
THE DETAILS
Pepperdine Waves (3-4, 0-3) at Saint Mary's Gaels (2-10, 0-6)
Thursday, January 21 at 6:30 pm
University Credit Union Pavilion – Moraga, Calif.
Watch Live (with Ben Ross) | Live Stats
 
Loyola Marymount Lions (4-7, 3-3) at Saint Mary's Gaels (2-10, 0-6)
Saturday, January 23 at 1:00 pm
University Credit Union Pavilion – Moraga, Calif.
Watch Live (with Ben Ross) | Live Stats
 
LAST TIME OUT
Saint Mary's fell on the road last Thursday to a BYU squad that is dangerous and talented. The Gaels were even with the Cougars after the first quarter, and led midway through the second before BYU found their rhythm and pulled ahead of the Gaels. Despite the outcome, there were plenty of positive signs to take away from the game. Saint Mary's made ten three-pointers in the game for just the fourth time this season. Saint Mary's out-rebounded BYU 40-37, which showed just how potent of a rebounding team the Gaels have this season. The Gaels also had their most assists (13) in the last five games.
 
AMONG OTHER NUMBERS
Ellie Croco recorded her third-straight career-best performance, putting up 13 points for the Gaels, including 10 points in the first 15 minutes of game action, and going 3-4 from range…the Gaels got a familiar face back in the lineup as Emily Codding played for the first time since tearing her ACL in January of 2020 and she played 14 minutes, scoring nine points and grabbing eight rebounds…Taycee Wedin went 3-6 from beyond the arc to get her to 11 points on the night, part of a 10 three-pointer effort from SMC, their fourth such game of the year.
 
ABOUT PEPPERDINE
The Gaels met the Waves three times last year, and it was Pepperdine who knocked the Gaels out of the WCC tournament. It's been a weird season so far for the Waves, who have had several games postponed because of cautions over COVID-19. Having played just one game since December 30, the Waves are winless in conference play. In those three conference games, the Waves are shooting below 25% from beyond the arc, an area where the Gaels should have an advantage. Malia Bambrick is the only Pepperdine player averaging above ten points per game, with 12.9 points per game, and she stands as the Waves' best three-point shooter.
 
ABOUT LMU
The Lions and Gaels also met three times last year, but the Gaels got the better of the Lions in the conference tournament. This year's LMU squad appears to be stronger than last year's team that finish last in the conference standings, currently at 3-3 through six WCC games. LMU beat Pepperdine on Saturday in a tight 53-50 affair to get to the .500 mark, with other WCC wins against Santa Clara and San Francisco. LMU only averages 59 points per game but does have three players averaging in double-figures: Ariel Johnson (11.4), Ciera Ellington (10.5), and Khari Clark (10.4).