MORAGA, Calif. – Saint Mary's Women's Basketball got back in the win column on Saturday afternoon, pulling away from the Pepperdine Waves in a 68-58 win at UCU Pavilion.
 
The game got off to an odd start with the score tied 2-2 with just under three minutes to go in the first quarter, but the Gaels (8-8, 2-3) led 13-4 after that first frame.
 
Foul trouble for Ali Bamberger and an offensive outburst from the Waves allowed Peppderine to cut the Gaels lead to 28-25 at the half. However, SMC answered the bell and then some to start the third quarter, starting the second half on a 10-0 run, capped off by two-straight threes by Taycee Wedin to extend their lead to 38-25.
 
A Makena Mastora three would extend the lead to 16 with 2:44 to go in the third on her second-straight basket from deep, and the Gaels would remain up by 12 points going into the fourth.
 
Aspen Garrison would score six points in the fourth quarter alone and establish SMC's largest lead of the night at 17 points with 3:42 remaining. The Gaels led by 16 with exactly two minutes left to play before the Waves trimmed it to 10, but there were only 26 seconds left at that point.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
Taycee Wedin went 4 of 7 from three-point range and 6 of 11 overall to finish with 16 points. Bamberger had 12 points and Mastora finished with nine.
 
Amy West was the team's leading rebounder with seven, and Hannah Rapp led the team with three assists as the Gaels moved the ball well.
 
SMC committed just six turnovers, a season-low for the Gaels and shot 63.6% in the fourth quarter, and are now 6-2 when they out shoot their opponent.
 
UP NEXT
The Gaels will head to the South Bay to take on Santa Clara at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 12.