MORAGA, Calif. – Saint Mary's Women's Basketball won a gritty battle with UC Davis on Saturday night, coming back from a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter for a 58-53 win over the Aggies.
 
The victory broke a tie in the all-time series between SMC and UC Davis, putting the Gaels ahead 10-9 after career nights from Clair Steele and Hanna Rapp.
 
Steele scored a career-high 20 points, with 13 of them coming in the fourth quarter. The true point guard hit a big three and a key layup for the Gaels, but did most of her scoring from the free-throw line to seal the win for Saint Mary's while also leading the team in assists.
 
Rapp recorded her first career double-double with another big rebounding night, hauling down a career-high 16 boards to go along with 11 points.
 
The game was a defensive slugfest, with both teams playing very physically and contesting every shot. The Gaels jumped out to a 7-2 lead to start the game, but the Aggies won the first quarter 11-9. Saint Mary's would win the second quarter 15-11 and went into the locker room up 24-22 after a three pointer by Jade Kirisome with 26 seconds left in the half.  
 
The game was tied 40-40 to start the fourth quarter, but the Aggies started the quarter on an 8-0 run. They would lead by as many as nine with just under seven minutes remaining, but the Gaels didn't panic.
 
Tayla Dalton would hit a pull-up jumper, followed by a pair of free throws and a three pointer from Clair Steele to bring the Gaels within two at 51-49 with just over five minutes left.  
 
The Gaels would take the lead with 1:26 remaining on an Amy West sweeping, left-handed layup to make it 53-51 Saint Mary's. From there SMC's defense would take over, forcing three turnovers in the next three UC Davis possessions, including a game-sealing turnover by the Aggies with 10 seconds left forced by Dalton and West. Steele would go 4 for 4 from the charity stripe to put the game out of the Aggies reach with 9.9 seconds remaining.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS          
The win was number 298 for Paul Thomas as the Head Coach of the Gaels. It was the first time this season the Gaels lost the rebounding battle and won, and the first time all season they won the turnover battle, committing just 12 turnovers to UC Davis' 21.
 
Steele's previous career-high in scoring was 15 while at Lehigh University. Her scoring powered by a career high 15 of 18 night at the free-throw line, shattering her previous career-best of six free throws made in a game.
 
Rapp's 16 rebounds topped her career-high of 10 boards set earlier this season against Kansas. Gaels center Ali Bamberger missed a second-consecutive game with an ankle injury, but was dressed, participated in warm ups, and stayed loose on a stationary bike, giving some optimism that it may be just a short absence for the team's top post presence.


 
UP NEXT
The Gaels begin a streak of six-straight road games, starting Saturday, December 10 at Boise State for a 1:00 p.m. tip off.