MORAGA, Calif. – Saint Mary's Women's Basketball dominated the fourth quarter against the Nevada Wolf Pack to take the season opener 67-58, in a UCU Pavilion packed with over a thousand sixth graders from the Antioch School District.
 
TIGHTLY PACKED
Similar to the program's "kid's day" last season versus Portland, the middle schoolers were in full throat, cheering on the Gaels every move. And similar to the season opener last season at Nevada, the Gaels erupted in the fourth, winning the final frame 20-8 to seal the victory.
 
Taycee Wedin scored eight of her 10 points in the last quarter, hitting two three pointers and two free throws to go./. with the steady metronome throughout the game of Ali Bamberger, who had 14 points and 17 rebounds. It was another double-double for Bamberger, who racked up 10 double-doubles last season.
 
Various members of the Gaels supporting cast took turns being the other scorer to keep the offense humming. Tayla Dalton was a spark plug again for Saint Mary's as she often was last season, scoring a team-leading six points in the opening quarter and five in the third.
 
It was Hannah Rapp and Clair Steele each with four points in the second quarter to buoy the SMC attack, though the Gaels trailed 34-33 at the half, even though they were shooting 54% from the field.
 
THE FOURTH SCORES
Nevada would actually extend their lead to three points going into the fourth, before Saint Mary's would take over. A blocked shot by Bamberger would lead to offense the other way, as Dalton would then reward her center on the offensive end of the floor, feeding her for a layup that gave SMC the lead for good at 55-52 with seven-and-a-half minutes left.
 
The Gaels pushed it to double digits when the defense led to offense again, as Hannah Rapp took the ball away from the Wolf Pack before setting up Wedin for a step-back three to make it 62-52 with 3:34 remaining.
 
Bamberger would block another shot with 1:34 left to play, but Nevada did make it a five-point game at 63-58 with just under a minute remaining. The Wolf Pack didn't foul, but did attempt to trap Wedin who passed the ball to Steele before she raced into the lane for a layup with 30 seconds remaining.
 
The Gaels would get a stop on a desperate shot attempt by the Wolf Pack and Wedin would hit a pair of free throws to ice the game for Saint Mary's at 67-58.
 
UP NEXT
The Gaels will hit the road to take on Cal Baptist in Riverside, Calif. on Saturday, November 12 at 3:00 p.m.