LAS VEGAS – Saint Mary's Women's Basketball climbed back from a 19-point deficit in the fourth quarter to make it a three-point game before the Pacific Tigers held on for an 82-77 win to eliminate the Gaels from the WCC Tournament.
 
SMC started the game on an 8-0 run, getting off to a hot start for the second-straight day. But UOP would tie the game at 10-10 and lead 15-12 at the end of the end.
 
A three pointer by Taycee Wedin gave the Gaels the lead again with just under seven minutes to go in the half to make it 24-23 Saint Mary's. But Pacific would get their lead back up to six and lead by three at the half in a wild and entertaining, back-and-forth second quarter.
 
That would be followed by an incredibly strange third quarter for the Gaels where they made just one field goal on nine attempts and scored only six points. Both teams struggled to score in that third, but the Tigers still won the period 13-7.
 
Pacific would lead by 19 at 66-47 with 5:35 to go, and it would seem Saint Mary's would be on the wrong end of a lopsided score. But Ali Bamberger would heat up from downtown after struggling inside and Wedin would hit another three to make it a single-digit game at 72-63 with 2:26 to go.
 
Bamberger would cut it to seven and a pair of Tayla Dalton free throws got it down to five with 30 seconds left. Wedin would hit a pair of free throws to keep it at five at 78-73 with 22 seconds left. The Gaels top shooter appeared to be fouled after the free throw on a box out attempt, and the refs would confer with each other on it.
 
But Saint Mary's did not like the explanation they received, as the officials said they can only go to review to upgrade a foul that was already called, not go back and call a foul and admitted that they missed the call.
 
The teams were trading free throws at that point, as the Tigers would able to keep the Gaels from getting the lead under five points. An intentional foul was called on UOP on an SMC possession with 12.3 seconds left, as Makena Mastora was yanked down to the ground around the shoulder/neck area.
 
Wedin would hit those free throws and Dalton would sky high above everyone for a rebound on a missed Gaels shot, coming down with the ball and drawing a foul as she landed hard on the floor. She'd hit those free throws to make it a three-point game at 80-77 with three seconds left, but the Tigers would hit their last two free-throw attempts to put the game away.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
Saint Mary's shot 53.8% in that fourth and kept Pacific to 34.3% percent as the Gaels scored 33 points in the fourth to the Tigers 28.
 
Taycee Wedin would lead SMC in scoring again with 23 points and hit three more three pointers to finish her career with 407 threes made. She finishes her Saint Mary's career with 1,740 points, putting her fifth all time in program history and just two points behind fourth-place Cheree Tappin.
 
Bamberger finished with 19 points and nine rebounds, giving her 604 boards in her career and 994 points combining her time at Washington and at Saint Mary's.
 
Dalton finished with 11 points tied Hannah Rapp for the team lead in assists with four.