MORAGA, Calif. – The Saint Mary's Women's Basketball Team played a very efficient game against the University of San Diego on Saturday afternoon as they won 79-67 to sweep the regular-season series with the Toreros. The Gaels improved to 13-13 overall and 7-8 in WCC play with three games remaining.
 
San Diego led 18-15 after one quarter of play and had their best shooting quarter of the game at 47.1% but from there the Gaels defense tightened and they would take the lead for good early in the second quarter.
 
Taycee Wedin hit a three pointer with seven-and-a-half minutes to go in the second quarter to put the Gaels on top 23-20 and they would never trail again. It was Wedin's first of five three pointers as she would go on to set a new career high in points in a game with 27.
 
The Toreros would trim it back to a two-point game before a Wedin layup put it back to a four-point cushion with under three minutes to go in the quarter. The Gaels all-time three-point shooter would hit another trey to put the Gaels up by 10 for the first time on the afternoon with just over a minute to go in the second frame, but the Toreros would score the final five points of the quarter to make it a 37-32 game at the break.
 
The Gaels kept the Toreros to just 29% shooting in the second quarter while shooting 53.3% themselves. Wedin would have 14 points at the half and Ali Bamberger had already racked up 10 rebounds at that point.
 
Bamberger would put the Gaels lead back to double digits when Wedin fed her for a layup to make it 47-36 Saint Mary's with 5:19 remaining in the third. But San Diego would go on a 7-0 run to cut it to four before free throws by Bamberger and Wedin pushed the lead back to seven at the end of the quarter.
 
That pattern would continue in the fourth, as every time San Diego cut the SMC lead under 10 points, Bamberger and Wedin would get it right back to double digits. The Toreros would cut the Gaels lead to eight points with four minutes left but they would never get any closer. Saint Mary's was again clutch at the free throw line in the fourth to put it back to double digits for good on a pair of Hannah Rapp free throws with 3:26 to go as SMC was 14 of 19 at the charity stripe in the quarter to seal the win.
 
TOP PERFORMERS
Wedins career night in points included five more threes which gives her 288 in her career and just 10 behind the WCC all-time record of 298 with three games left to play. Bamberger recorded her ninth double-double of the season with 23 points and 12 boards. Makena Mastora finished with nine points and Madeline Holland had seven points and seven rebounds.
 
The Gaels shot 44% from the field on the night and held San Diego to just 35% shooting. Saint Mary's won the rebounding battle 45-41 and committed only 14 turnovers on the day.
 
UP NEXT
The Gaels will host Portland at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, February 21 for their final make-up game of a postponement.

#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