MORAGA, Calif. – Saint Mary's Women's Basketball trimmed a 14-point deficit to five in the third quarter, but the Rice Owls kept it from getting any closer in a 77-64 loss for the Gaels on Wednesday night.
 
SMC's formula for wins this season of a second-half explosion from Taycee Wedin combined with the steady presence of Ali Bamberger throughout the game looked like it was going to bring the Gaels back from down double digits in the third quarter.
 
But five players scored in double figures in Saint Mary's 2-0 start, while only Makena Mastora joined Wedin and Bamberger's 17 points each in double figures with 11 points on 4 of 8 shooting. The Gaels limited their turnovers with just one more than the Owls at 13-12, but were out rebounded 46-24 in a flip of their usual script.
 
The Gaels hit 41% of their threes at CBU and 31.3% versus Nevada, but shot just 25% against Rice, though they were 5 of 10 in the second half after going 1 for 14 in the first. It was a tale of two halves in their overall field goal percentage as well, going 12-22 for 54.5% in the second half compared to 34.5% in the first.
 
The Wedin sisters had a first together at the collegiate level, as redshirt freshman Addison Wedin assisted on Taycee's first three pointer of the night early in the second quarter. Big sister Taycee scored nine points in the third quarter after going 3 for 3 from downtown, hitting them in a 90-second span that helped cut the Owls lead from 13 to six with 4:01 to go in the third.
 
A Mastora basket got to the deficit to five with two minutes to go in the quarter, and a pair of Clair Steele free throws got to back to five with 1:24 to go in it. But Rice would finished the third up by eight, and extended their lead back to double digits as soon as the fourth started.

Taycee Wedin finished 5 of 10 from three-point range and 6 of 13 overall. Bamberger was 6 of 12 from the floor and 5 of 6 at the free-throw line.
 
UP NEXT:
The Gaels will host Cal at 2:00 p.m. this Sunday, November 20 at UCU Pavilion.