MORAGA, Calif. – The Saint Mary's Women's Basketball Team improved to 3-3 on the season after coming out of the gate hot against the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos and never let up in a 68-45 win in the finale of the Saint Mary's Thanksgiving Classic.
 
The Gaels started the game on an 8-0 run after two three pointers from Taycee Wedin and a layup by Madeline Holland. They would lead by as many as 14 on two different occasions in the first after two made free throws by Wedin with 2:16 left in the quarter and an Ali Bamberger layup to put Saint Mary's up 18-4 after one quarter of play. The Gaels shot 54% from the field in the first quarter and were 2 of 6 from downtown while keeping the Gauchos to just 1 of 12 shooting from the field.  
 
An Amy West hook shot made it a 16-point lead early in the second quarter and the Gaels would lead by 14 at the break, as the second quarter was much more evenly played, with the Gaels shooting 29% to the Gauchos 27%.
 
Saint Mary's again started hot to begin the third quarter and would increase their lead to 20 at 51-31 with 1:48 remaining in the third after Bamberger capitalized on Holland's second-straight steal by scoring in the paint. An Ellie Croco layup put the Gaels up by 21 to end the quarter as SMC shot 53% from the field in the third.
 
The Gaels kept their foot on the pedal in the fourth and extended their lead to 24 after a Hannah Rapp three pointer from the top of the key. Their largest lead would be 25 and it would come in the final 25 seconds after a pair of free throws by Aspen Garrison in a game that Saint Mary's never trailed.
 
Wedin led the Gaels in scoring again with 22 points – the second-highest scoring total in her career – after going 4 of 8 from three-point range and 8 of 13 shooting overall. Bamberger scored in double figures with 11 points and pulled down nine rebounds. Makena Mastora was a spark-plug off the bench for the Gaels, as she and Holland each finished with eight points and six rebounds, and Jade Kirisome led the team in steals with three.
 
The Gaels shot 43% as team from the field and were 11 of 13 from the free throw line while out rebounding UC Santa Barbara 50 to 30.

UP NEXT
Saint Mary's will continue their home stand by taking on San Jose State on Tuesday, November 30 at 6:30 p.m. at UCU Pavilion.