MORAGA, Calif. — The Saint Mary's Women's Basketball Team will travel east to the Carolinas to take on No. 2 North Carolina State and undefeated Coastal Carolina University with some morning tip offs times on their upcoming road trip. The Gaels will look to cool off two of the hottest teams in the country with their defensive team play and strong inside presence from reigning WCC Player of the Week, Ali Bamberger.

THE DETAILS
Saint Mary's (5-3) at North Carolina State (9-1)
Sunday, December 12 at 11:00 a.m.
James T. Valvano Arena – Raleigh, N.C.
Watch Live (subscription to TV provider with ACC Network required) | Live Stats |
 
Saint Mary's (5-4) at Coastal Carolina University (8-0)
Wednesday, December 15 at 8:00 a.m.
The HTC Center – Conway, S.C.
Watch Live (ESPN+ Subscription required) | Live Stats |
 

LAST TIME OUT
The Saint Mary's Women's Basketball Team took complete control of the third quarter against Fresno State on their way to an 81-69 victory over the Bulldogs at UCU Pavilion on last Saturday afternoon. The Gaels concluded their five-game home stand going 3-2 and improve to 5-3 overall on the season.
 
Bamberger again had a monster night, which made her the favorite for WCC Player of the Week. She scored 25 points and hauled down 19 rebounds to lead the Gaels and registered her fifth double-double of the season. She shot 7 of 17 from the field and was 11 of 15 from the free throw line.
 
Taycee Wedin finished with 20 points going 7-9 from the field and 6 of 8 from three-point range. Tayla Dalton finished with 11 points and led the Gaels with two steals and a block. Jade Kirisome also finished with 11 points and went 7 of 10 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter alone to help the Gaels seal the win. Madeline Holland again led the Gaels in assists with four.
 
Saint Mary's out rebounded Fresno State 53-27 in the game while shooting 40% from outside the arc and 71.4% at the free throw line.  
 
2021-22 YEARBOOK
The 2021-22 Saint Mary's Basketball Yearbook is available HERE. This contains all of your information on both Saint Mary's basketball programs, coach and player profiles, as well as Saint Mary's, administration, and fan information.

ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA STATE
The Wolfpack are currently ranked No. 2 in the country and their only loss was a 66-57 defeat in the season opener to No. 1 South Carolina. They ascended to No. 2 in January of 2021 for the first time since the 1990-91 campaign and spent a total of three weeks at that spot last season. This is NC State's 12th week in its 48-year history checking in as the nation's second-ranked team and matches their highest ranking in an Associated Press Top 25 poll.
 
They have already defeated two other nationally ranked teams by taking down No. 8 Maryland 78-60 on November 25 and topping No. 6 Indiana 66-58 on December 2. Both the ACC's head coaches and blue-ribbon panel selected the Wolfpack as the preseason favorite to win the league. NC State received first-place votes from all 14 of the other head coaches in the conference.
 
Through nine games, the Wolfpack are 3rd in three-point percentage (.412), 8th in field-goal percentage (.482), 11th in scoring margin (+23.6), and 14th in rebound margin (+12.4) nationally. Diamond Johnson leads the team in scoring with 13.4 points per game, and Elissa Cunane joins her in averaging double figures with 12.7 per game. Both players rank in the top 18 in the league in scoring. They are shooting 49.5 percent and 53.2 percent, respectively, this season, and Johnson ranks seventh in the ACC in field goal percentage (minimum 5 FGM/G).
 
The Gaels have only played the Wolfpack one other time in program history, with North Carolina State winning 87-70 in Moraga on November 24, 2019.
 
ABOUT COASTAL CAROLINA UNIVERSITY
The Chanticleers perfect start through the first eight games of the season is the best in program history, surpassing the 7-0 start in 2007-08. They are currently receiving votes in the USA Today Top 25 Poll.
 
Senior Aja Blount leads the team in scoring with 16.9 points per game. Blount was named as a Preseason All-Sun Belt first-team selection while teammate Deaja Richardson was selected to the third team.
 
Blount was selected to the All-Sun Belt third team in the 2020-21 season after leading the Chanticleers in scoring at 16.2 points per game, good for second in the Sun Belt Conference.  
Richardson finished the 2020-21 season ranked fifth in the Sun Belt in scoring (14.0 ppg), and eighth in three-point field goals made per game (1.6). The Kernersville, N.C. native, led the team with 23 three-point baskets and was second on the team with 20 steals.
 
With this being the first ever meeting between Saint Mary's and Coastal Carolina, you may also be asking yourself, "What's a Chanticleer?" A Chanticleer (pronounced is SHON-ti-cleer) is a proud and fierce rooster who dominates the barnyard in The Canterbury Tales.
 
Coastal Carolina used to serve as a two-year branch of the University of South Carolina and many wanted a nickname that was related to USC's Gamecock. Thus, Chanticleer was born as one of the most unique mascots in collegiate athletic history. Chanticleer gave Coastal a mascot which resembles the Gamecock but still gives the University its own identity.
 
#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