LAS VEGAS, Nev. - A gritty and hard fought season for Saint Mary's came to an end Saturday night as they fell to Pacific in the third round of the Credit Union 1 WCC Basketball Championship 59-74.
Maia Jones hit a flurry of three pointers late in the fourth to give the Gaels a chance but Pacific was dominant inside and on the glass, +20 in paint points and a big 21 points from Elizabeth Elliot.
Kennedy Johnson was marvelous in her final collegiate game, recording her second double-double of the season. Before fouling out Johnson also grabbed a career high 15 rebounds as she continued to give the Gaels life into the second half.
Maia Jones led the team win scoring with 17 points and
Zeryhia Aokuso put up ten points and was the team's best offensive player in the first half.
FIRST HALF SMC 29-33 PAC
Pacific led by as many as six in the opening quarter but the Gaels defense forced four turnovers to stay within striking distance. Layups from
Emily Foy and
Edie Clarke helped make it a three-point game heading into the second.
The lead hit seven three different times for the Tigers but
Emily Foy gave the Gaels offense life with a pair of three pointers. Foy has been a thorn in the side of Pacific all season long as she combined for 33 points and eight made three pointers in their previous two meetings.
In the closing seconds, Aokuso would go the length of the floor and convert a layup off a sweet hesitation move to put Saint Mary's within four at the break. Aokuso led the team with ten points as Saint Mary's entered the half well within striking distance of Pacific.
FINAL SMC 59-74 PAC
Saint Mary's came out of the half and converted a layup from Johnson to make it a two-point game. The Tigers responded though with an 8-0 run along with two forced turnovers to force a timeout from
Jeff Cammon with the Gaels now trailing 39-31.
Both teams traded buckets but a crucial turnover in the final seconds gave Pacific a fast break layup to put them up nine and complete a quick 4-0 run in the final thirty seconds. The Gaels shot just 23% from the field that quarter and had their work cut out for them heading into the fourth.
A 7-2 run pushed the lead to 14 for Pacific to start the fourth, their largest lead of the game. Saint Mary's struggled to defend Elizabeth Elliott on the interior and then the Tigers were able to splash home a three ball during that scoring run to extend their lead.
With under three to play,
Maia Jones flipped a switch on and gave her team some late life with three three pointers to cut the deficit to as little as eight. The Gaels sped up in transition and Jones had great rhythm and tempo in her shots to jump start the team's offense.
Following the run from Jones, Pacific took it to the paint and sealed the game at the free throw line. The Tigers were 5-for-5 from the stripe down the stretch and a three-point play from Elliott would clinch the 74-59 victory. Pacific will advance to take on three seed Washington State tomorrow afternoon at 2:30 PM.
Kennedy Johnson fouled out late in the fourth but left every bit of fight she had out on the floor. She recorded her second double-double of the season and also grabbed a career high 15 boards. Johnson had a tough and-one back in the third quarter to help keep it a five-point game heading into the fourth but Pacific ended up being too much to handle inside as the Gaels couldn't overcome the fourth quarter deficit.
Jones concluded her season on an offensive tear, averaging almost twenty points per game over the previous three games while
Emily Foy came off the bench and did what the WCC Sixth Woman of the Year does, scoring 12 points to lead all bench scorers.
QUOTES FROM CAMMON
"We knew Pacific was gonna be a tough matchup, any time you play a team for a third time it's always gonna be tough," said Gaels head coach
Jeff Cammon. "Our girls fought though, they fought tooth and nail like they've done all season long".
"I'm just so proud of this group, fighting through all the ups and downs on and off the court throughout the season, I'm just proud of the young women they've become through this journey, that's why you coach, that's why you I do what I do".
"They played their hearts out for me, and I'll forever be thankful for their sacrifice and effort. That's what I'll remember years from now about this season and this team".
Saint Mary's will await potential NCAA postseason play in either the WNIT or WBI. The full postgame press conference with
Kennedy Johnson,
Maia Jones and
Jeff Cammon can be found HERE or at wccsports.com.
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