The Saint Mary's Women's Basketball Team played a very good defensive game against Texas Christian University of the Big 12 on Friday afternoon at UCU Pavilion, but ran out of time in a 72-68 loss on day one of the Saint Mary's Thanksgiving Classic.
 
The Horned Frogs jumped out to a 10-point lead with 3:48 to go in the first and finished the quarter up 21-12. But the Gaels stormed back to tie the game at 27 apiece on a Madeline Holland three pointer with 2:25 left in the first half, and the game intensified quickly for a non-conference match up between programs that hadn't played each other since 1999.
 
It was Holland's first game back since an ankle injury during the opener at Nevada and it was the Gaels defense that got them in position to get back in the game. Saint Mary's kept TCU to just 28% shooting overall and 1 for 8 from three-point range in the second quarter.
 
Ali Bamberger and Brianna Simonich each blocked a shot in the second and the Gaels either altered the Horned Frogs shots even when they didn't get a block or forced them into some difficult attempts. Taycee Wedin hit two threes in the quarter as well and the Gaels trailed just 32-30 at the break after shooting 50% in the quarter.
 
Saint Mary's would take their first lead of the game in the third quarter at 34-32 just a minute and half into the second half after back-to-back baskets by Amy West, with the go-ahead bucket set up by a steal from Bamberger. The teams would trade buckets and Tayla Dalton would hit jumper in the lane that would give the Gaels a 36-34 lead with 6:50 remaining in the third, but it would be Saint Mary's last lead of the night.
 
The score would be tied on three more occasions in the quarter with the last coming at 41-41 after an Aspen Garrison jumper in the paint with three minutes left in the third, but TCU would lead 48-45 going into the fourth.
 
The Horned Frogs would race out to an 11-point lead at 56-45 with 7:26 remaining but the Gaels refused to go down without a fight. Just when it seemed TCU had a firm grip on the contest, SMC wrestled it away from their grasp to make it a game down to the final seconds.
 
With the Gaels down 67-57 with just 33 seconds left, they mounted a furious comeback. Two Wedin threes would cut it to a six-point deficit with just 25 seconds left, and then the Gaels took advantage of their free throw opportunities to score with the clock stopped, while the Horned Frogs couldn't put the final nail in the coffin on their chances at the charity stripe.
 
Bamberger hit a pair of free throws, and Wedin was fouled while shooting a three pointer - making all three shots from the line - and just like that the Gaels trailed by only three points at 71-68 with just over two seconds remaining. Saint Mary's had to foul one more time to extend the game, but TCU's Lauren Heard managed to sink her second free throw after missing the first to make it a two possession game to seal the deal for the 72-68 final. 

Wedin led the Gaels in scoring with 15 points, hitting four 3-pointers and grabbing five rebounds. Bamberger came up one rebound shy of her third double-double of the year with 14 points and nine rebounds to go with two steals and a blocked shot. Jade Kirisome also finished in double figures with 11 points and she and Simonich led the team with four assists with Simonich aslo pulling down eight board. Holland scored 10 points in her return to action and West finished with nine points.

UP NEXT
The Gaels will finish the Saint Mary's Thanksgiving Classic with a match up against UC Santa Barbara at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday at UCU Pavilion.
 
#GaelsRise — 2021-22 tickets and ticket packages are on sale now! To purchase tickets, click HERE. If you have questions, contact the ticket office by email smctickets@stmarys-ca.edu or call 925-631-4689…Saint Mary's Basketball…#TogetherAgain