MORAGA, Calif. - Saint Mary's held a five-point lead at the half holding Washington State to just 21% from three but got outscored 20-9 in the third quarter to eventually fall 66-57 for their second conference defeat.
Maia Jones led the team with eleven points off the bench and a career high five steals while
Kennedy Johnson had ten points and four steals of her own to match her career high.
The Gaels had their best defensive night since their OT win over Santa Clara last month as they held the Cougars to just 39% from the field but got outrebounded by 16 on the night and gave up 15 second chance points. They will remain in Moraga and finish the weekend against Pacific on Saturday as they look to get back in the win column and seek their fifth conference victory.
FIRST HALF SMC 36-31 WSU
After a 7-2 run to start the game for the Cougars, sophomore guard
Jada Hunter would connect on a long three ball for just her second made three of the season to cut the deficit to two. After a
Kennedy Johnson steal on the next possession,
Maia Jones would cash in for a second consecutive three to take an 8-7 lead early in the first.
The Gaels would force four turnovers in the first quarter and end the period on a 6-2 run to take a two point lead into the break. Head coach
Jeff Cammon and his squad were just 2-7 from three but attacked the lane and outscored the Cougars 10-6 in the paint to finish 50% from the field in the period.
The offense continued to pick up for both sides but Saint Mary's held Washington State to 39% shooting and the Gaels bench came alive with 12 points in the quarter to give them a five-point lead at the break.
Johnson had four quick points to start the second quarter and five other Gaels would record points in the quarter as SMC generated good ball movement and recorded six assists in the quarter. The one stat keeping the Cougars in the ball game came from the glass as they were +6 in rebounding and eight more offensive boards to give them nine second chance points. Jones was 3-6 from the field with 9 of her 11 points coming in the first half while also grabbing four steals to lead both teams.
FINAL SMC 57-66 WSU
The third quarter would prove to be the difference maker as Washington State came out on an 11-2 run that included three three-pointers to jump in front by four. The Gaels zone defense caused problems in the first half but the Cougars were able to knock down some open looks to retake the lead for the first time since the 5-minute mark in the second quarter.
Zeryhia Aokuso would hit a huge pull-up three to cut the deficit back to one but Washington State would end the third quarter on a 7-2 run and hold Saint Mary's to just 1-of-4 from the field in the final two minutes, giving them a 51-45 advantage heading into the fourth. Saint Mary's shot a game low 27% in the third quarter while Washington State was 57% from the field with eight made field goals.
The offense would cool down again for both sides but the Gaels generated some late momentum with a steal from
Jada Hunter that led to an
Abigail Shoff layup on the fast break, cutting the deficit to seven with 2:35 to play. After forcing another Cougar turnover Aokuso would make them pay with a pull-up jumper in transition and in the blink of an eye it was a five-point game with two minutes to play.
Washington State would pass their way out of high pressure from the Gaels and get good looks at the rim allowing them to draw fouls and go 4-of-5 from the stripe in the final minute and a half to help ice the game. Eleonora Villa would hit a tough floater in the paint and draw the foul for the three-point play to seal the win with 50 seconds remaining. Late free throws from Hunter would finish the game, 57-66 and hand Saint Mary's their second conference defeat.
The Cougars finished +16 on the glass with a game high 17 offensive boards and shot 57% from the field in the third quarter to help complete the second half comeback.
Maia Jones and
Kennedy Johnson were the team's lone double figure scorers combining for 21 points and nine steals defensively. Aokuso and Shoff combined for 17 points on the night while
Jada Hunter was another bright spot on the defensive end for the Gaels with three steals, her sixth game of the season with multiple steals.
The Gaels rebounding woes continued though as they failed to eclipse the 30-rebound mark for the third straight game, going 1-2 over that stretch.
LOOKING AHEAD
Saint Mary's falls to 8-7 overall and 4-2 in conference play after their nine-point defeat to Washington State in their first ever WCC matchup. The Gaels will return to UCU Pavilion this Saturday to take on Pacific at 5:00 PM. Stream the game live on ESPN+ and get your tickets online at smcgaels.com/tickets.
Be sure to follow your Gaels on Facebook, Instagram, and X to get all the latest Saint Mary's athletics updates and information.
#GaelsRise
