MORAGA, Calif. - Saint Mary's came from behind once again to earn their first home win over San Francisco since 2019, ending their four-game skid and improving to 8-6 in WCC play. The Gaels were stellar defensively holding the Dons to under 30% from the field, the second time they've accomplished that this season.
Maia Jones completed a solid weekend with a team high 16 points on 60% shooting while
Kennedy Johnson added eleven points and a game high seven assists. Saint Mary's attacked the paint and committed to forcing tough, contested perimeter shots from USF all night long. They finished +12 in paint points and also had four blocks as a team including two from freshman forward
Edie Clarke.
It was not the prettiest game for either side but Saint Mary's has shown they can win low scoring, defensive battles all year long. On the season, the Gaels are 4-2 when both teams score under 60 points.
FIRST HALF SMC 23-24 USF
A slow start put Saint Mary's down six at the conclusion of the first quarter. Despite the deficit the Gaels held San Francisco to just three made field goals on 23% shooting. The difference for the Dons early lead came from beyond the arc and at the free throw line, two made threes and four made free throws would give them the 12-6 advantage.
Saint Mary's would do a little bit of everything in the second quarter, shooting over 50% from the field and also connecting on three three pointers to outscore the Dons 17-12 in the quarter. After back-to-back buckets from USF to push their lead to ten, the Gaels answered with a 10-3 scoring run to cut the deficit in half.
Zeryhia Aokuso had four points during that stretch and
Kennedy Johnson connected on a crucial second chance three pointer to get the crowd going and make it a five-point game.
Saint Mary's would conclude the half on a 7-1 run which featured a nice pick-and-pop three pointer from
Abigail Shoff to make it a one-point game at the break. The Gaels got several stops on the defensive end of the floor including two big blocks from freshman forward
Edie Clarke. Clarke was +9 on the floor in her eight minutes of action in the first half and made a nice impact defensively, altering shots and grabbing three rebounds.
FINAL SMC 52-49 USF
Both teams would find some rhythm offensively in the third quarter, both shooting over 42% from the field. A key difference in the Dons home win over the Gaels earlier this season was three-point shooting as they were able to hit four in the quarter and maintain a two-point lead.
Maia Jones helped give the Gaels their first lead of the game with a tough and-one finish on their second possession, eventually converting the free throw and giving Saint Mary's a 26-24 lead. Jones would get another layup inside on the very next possession to push their lead to four.
Under the two-minute mark, Aokuso would find Jones inside and she would finish another layup through contact, convert the three-point play, and give the Gaels a three-point lead. Jones took over in the third quarter with ten points off three made shots while also finishing a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line. Back-to-back three balls from the Dons inside the final minute and a half would give them a 40-42 lead heading to the fourth.
The Gaels locked things down in the fourth quarter, holding San Francisco to just one made field goal to end the game. Saint Mary's would go on a 6-0 run to start the quarter with buckets from
Maia Jones,
Abigail Shoff and
Kennedy Johnson. After USF answered the Gaels scoring run with a three-pointer, the Gaels truly swung the momentum with a scoop and score from
Kennedy Johnson to give them a five-point lead with three minutes to play.
San Francisco hit a pair of free throws with 45 seconds left to cut the deficit to two. On the following possession, the Dons would trap Johnson and force a jump ball to flip the possession and give them a chance to tie the game up with 15 seconds remaining. After a USF timeout, they would elect to go for the quick two but a deflected pass in the paint would fall to Aokuso who scooped up the loose ball and got fouled in the process to give the ball back to the Gaels.
Saint Mary's would run the clock out after evading the intentional foul to hang on for the 52-49 victory. The Gaels ended their four-game losing streak and improved to 8-6 in WCC play. Jones came alive in the second half to lead the team with 16 points, her second straight game with 15+ points. The Gaels finished 43% from the field and took advantage of a depleted San Francisco team, outscoring them 28-16 in the paint and 19-11 in bench points.
Amy Kurkowski hit a pair of three pointers off the bench to finish with six points while
Abigail Shoff led all bench scorers with nine points on 4-of-5 shooting.
Edie Clarke was another great headline for the Gaels as she recorded a career high eight rebounds and also had two blocks. Clarke's length made a huge impact on the defensive end of the floor in her 15 minutes of action.
Offense was at a premium tonight for both teams but crucial defensive stops for Saint Mary's helped seal the three-point victory. The Gaels now rank fourth in the WCC allowing just 64 points per game.
The Gaels now sit alone in fifth place in the conference standings just two games out of third place and will have a chance at revenge as they host Portland next Thursday.
LOOKING AHEAD
Saint Mary's improved to 12-11 overall and 8-6 in conference play, ending their four-game losing streak. They moved up to fifth place in the standings and will have another pivotal home game next Thursday against Portland. Stream the game live on ESPN+ and get your tickets online at smcgaels.com/tickets.
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