Thursday, January 22
Moraga, CA
6:30 PM
Saint Mary's College of California
vs
Pepperdine
#3 Mauriana Hashemian-Orr: Surpassed 100 career assists after her six-assist performance vs. Washington State (1/15)
Photo by: Saint Mary's Athletics / Tod Fierner
WBB | Gaels Look to Get Back in the Win Column with Rematch against Pepperdine Thursday Night
1/21/2026 12:11:00 PM | Women's Basketball
MORAGA, Calif. - Saint Mary's will look to bounce back after another pair of close defeats last week as they host Pepperdine in a rematch on Thursday, January 22nd before hitting the road for their first trip to the Pacific Northwest to take on Seattle U on Saturday the 24th. The Gaels will look to even the regular season series after falling to the Waves earlier this month 60-52 down in Malibu. They'll then take on first-year WCC member Seattle U on Saturday in their first matchup with the Redhawks since 2013.
Both games can be streamed live on ESPN+ and tickets for Thursday's home game can be purchased online at smcgaels.com/tickets.
GAME COVERAGE AND INFORMATION
WBB | Saint Mary's vs. Pepperdine | UCU Pavilion
Moraga, Calif. | January 22nd | 6:30 PM
Live Stats | ESPN+ | Tickets
WBB | Saint Mary's at Seattle U | Redhawk Center
Seattle, Wash. | January 24th | 1:00 PM
Live Stats | ESPN+ | Tickets
GAELS OUTLOOK
Competitive Play but Gaels Drop Back-to-Back Games to Cougars and Broncos…
Saint Mary's added another pair of close defeats to their resume last week after an overtime loss to Washington State and then an eight-point defeat to Santa Clara to move them to 2-5 in conference play. The Gaels held another fourth quarter lead as they entered the final ten-minute period up three but found themselves in their second overtime game of the season. Neither team shot the ball well in OT but the Cougars got to the line and were able to ice the game with four made free throws inside the final minute and a half to hang on for the 68-64 victory. Turnover numbers were down for the Gaels but they fell below the 40% mark from the field and also gave up a season high 51 rebounds to give Washington State the edge late.
The Gaels had another tough test on paper with the highest scoring offense in the WCC on Saturday against Santa Clara. Despite the Broncos high octane offense, the Gaels held them to 68 points, 13 below their season average. Both teams were even in turnovers and rebounds but Santa Clara was able to hit nine three-pointers to fend off a late fourth quarter surge from Saint Mary's who outscored them 16-9 over the final ten minutes. The Gaels cut the deficit to one after a 16-5 scoring run to start the fourth but costly turnovers down the stretch and clutch free throw shooting gave the Broncos the late victory as they improved to 6-2 in conference play.
Jada Hunter Posts Back-to-Back Career Nights…
Junior point guard Jada Hunter put together back-to-back career games last week with a pair of 15-point performances against Washington State and Santa Clara. The Vallejo native shot over 50% from the field in both games and brought her scoring average up to six points per game. Hunter has been a defensive specialist since her arrival in Moraga but has taken major strides on the offensive end this season, posting career highs in assists, points, rebounds and made field goals. Hunter also added three steals in both games and is now tied for the team lead with 42 on the season, good for 2.1 steals per game.
Hashemian-Orr Eclipses 100 Career Assists vs. Washington State…
Sophomore guard Mauriana Hashemian-Orr eclipsed 100 career assists last Thursday against Washington State after recording a team high six in their 68-64 overtime defeat to the Cougars. Hashemian-Orr has posted career numbers in passing this season, averaging 3.0 assists per game for 9th in the WCC, nearly doubling her average from a season ago. Hashemian-Orr has recorded 3+ assists in 12 games this season including a career high six assists against the Cougars last week.
Saint Mary's Still Leads WCC Defensively, Allowing 58.1 PPG…
Despite a pair of conference defeats, Saint Mary's continued to flex their defensive muscles as they lead the WCC allowing just 58.1 points per game this season. They held Washington State to 57 points through four quarters but the overtime period would push their game total to 68 points. They would be met with another test on Saturday as they welcomed the league's top offense into UCU Pavilion in the Santa Clara Broncos. Santa Clara was averaging over 80 points going into the contest and the Gaels held them to just 68 points including a nine-point fourth quarter, nearly pulling off another four-quarter comeback.
The Gaels remain the best three-point defending team in the conference and also rank second in opponent turnovers and steals per game, averaging 10.15 and on pace for their highest average in over two decades. Edie Clarke ranks 6th in the conference in blocked shots (23) and tied for second in steals along with teammate Jada Hunter who each have 42 on the season.
Series History…
Pepperdine snapped a six-game losing streak to Saint Mary's dating back to 2023 after their 60-52 home win earlier this month. The Gaels swept both regular season meetings by double-digits last season and will look for the bounce back win over the Waves Thursday evening. Saint Mary's is 30-19 over Pepperdine dating back to 2002.
Saint Mary's and first-year WCC member Seattle U have only met five times in their series history but the Gaels have come away victorious in all five meetings. Their last matchup came back in 2013 when Saint Mary's defended home court with a 17-point victory over the Redhawks. The Gaels will travel to Seattle for their first road game with the Redhawks since the season prior in December of 2011. The Gaels have won their five meetings by an average of 10.8 points as they'll look to make it six straight Saturday afternoon.
ABOUT THE WAVES (11-8, 2-5)
Pepperdine sits at 11-8 overall and 2-5 in conference play, having dropped three of their previous four games after their eight-point win over Saint Mary's earlier this month. The Waves suffered a heartbreaking overtime defeat to LMU, a three-point loss to San Diego and then a one-point loss to Oregon State last Saturday. Both teams sit at 2-5 in conference play making for a pivotal matchup in Moraga Thursday night.
In conference play, Elli Guiney leads the Waves with over 15 points per game and is one of the team's purest shooters, averaging 41% from three and 48% from the field. Meghan Fiso and Lina Falk are also averaging double figures through seven conference games while Shorna Preston ranks second in the WCC with 9.1 rebounds per game.
ABOUT THE REDHAWKS (5-13, 1-6)
Seattle U enters the week at 5-13 and 1-6 in conference play, tied for last with San Diego in the WCC standings. After starting 0-4 in conference play the Redhawks recorded their first WCC victory over San Diego 68-62 but have since dropped two more games to Oregon State and Portland. This week, they'll take on Santa Clara and then Saint Mary's in a pair of home games on Thursday and Saturday.
Seattle ranks ninth in scoring at 63.3 points per game but are dead last defensively, allowing 74.5 points. They are fairly efficient from beyond the arc, shooting the three ball at 30% for seventh in the WCC but sit atop the rankings as the best free throw shooting team in the conference at 78%. Double-digit scorers in Ella Brubaker and Tamia Stricklin lead the way offensively for the Redhawks. Brubaker ranks top-10 in the conference averaging 14.8 points per game on 43% shooting while Stricklin averages 11.7 points and leads the team with over six rebounds per game.
Tickets for both games can be bought online at smcgaels.com and fans can catch all the action live on ESPN+.
Be sure to follow your Gaels on Facebook, Instagram, and X to get all the latest Saint Mary's athletics updates and information.
#GaelsRise
Both games can be streamed live on ESPN+ and tickets for Thursday's home game can be purchased online at smcgaels.com/tickets.
GAME COVERAGE AND INFORMATION
WBB | Saint Mary's vs. Pepperdine | UCU Pavilion
Moraga, Calif. | January 22nd | 6:30 PM
Live Stats | ESPN+ | Tickets
WBB | Saint Mary's at Seattle U | Redhawk Center
Seattle, Wash. | January 24th | 1:00 PM
Live Stats | ESPN+ | Tickets
GAELS OUTLOOK
Competitive Play but Gaels Drop Back-to-Back Games to Cougars and Broncos…
Saint Mary's added another pair of close defeats to their resume last week after an overtime loss to Washington State and then an eight-point defeat to Santa Clara to move them to 2-5 in conference play. The Gaels held another fourth quarter lead as they entered the final ten-minute period up three but found themselves in their second overtime game of the season. Neither team shot the ball well in OT but the Cougars got to the line and were able to ice the game with four made free throws inside the final minute and a half to hang on for the 68-64 victory. Turnover numbers were down for the Gaels but they fell below the 40% mark from the field and also gave up a season high 51 rebounds to give Washington State the edge late.
The Gaels had another tough test on paper with the highest scoring offense in the WCC on Saturday against Santa Clara. Despite the Broncos high octane offense, the Gaels held them to 68 points, 13 below their season average. Both teams were even in turnovers and rebounds but Santa Clara was able to hit nine three-pointers to fend off a late fourth quarter surge from Saint Mary's who outscored them 16-9 over the final ten minutes. The Gaels cut the deficit to one after a 16-5 scoring run to start the fourth but costly turnovers down the stretch and clutch free throw shooting gave the Broncos the late victory as they improved to 6-2 in conference play.
Jada Hunter Posts Back-to-Back Career Nights…
Junior point guard Jada Hunter put together back-to-back career games last week with a pair of 15-point performances against Washington State and Santa Clara. The Vallejo native shot over 50% from the field in both games and brought her scoring average up to six points per game. Hunter has been a defensive specialist since her arrival in Moraga but has taken major strides on the offensive end this season, posting career highs in assists, points, rebounds and made field goals. Hunter also added three steals in both games and is now tied for the team lead with 42 on the season, good for 2.1 steals per game.
Hashemian-Orr Eclipses 100 Career Assists vs. Washington State…
Sophomore guard Mauriana Hashemian-Orr eclipsed 100 career assists last Thursday against Washington State after recording a team high six in their 68-64 overtime defeat to the Cougars. Hashemian-Orr has posted career numbers in passing this season, averaging 3.0 assists per game for 9th in the WCC, nearly doubling her average from a season ago. Hashemian-Orr has recorded 3+ assists in 12 games this season including a career high six assists against the Cougars last week.
Saint Mary's Still Leads WCC Defensively, Allowing 58.1 PPG…
Despite a pair of conference defeats, Saint Mary's continued to flex their defensive muscles as they lead the WCC allowing just 58.1 points per game this season. They held Washington State to 57 points through four quarters but the overtime period would push their game total to 68 points. They would be met with another test on Saturday as they welcomed the league's top offense into UCU Pavilion in the Santa Clara Broncos. Santa Clara was averaging over 80 points going into the contest and the Gaels held them to just 68 points including a nine-point fourth quarter, nearly pulling off another four-quarter comeback.
The Gaels remain the best three-point defending team in the conference and also rank second in opponent turnovers and steals per game, averaging 10.15 and on pace for their highest average in over two decades. Edie Clarke ranks 6th in the conference in blocked shots (23) and tied for second in steals along with teammate Jada Hunter who each have 42 on the season.
Series History…
Pepperdine snapped a six-game losing streak to Saint Mary's dating back to 2023 after their 60-52 home win earlier this month. The Gaels swept both regular season meetings by double-digits last season and will look for the bounce back win over the Waves Thursday evening. Saint Mary's is 30-19 over Pepperdine dating back to 2002.
Saint Mary's and first-year WCC member Seattle U have only met five times in their series history but the Gaels have come away victorious in all five meetings. Their last matchup came back in 2013 when Saint Mary's defended home court with a 17-point victory over the Redhawks. The Gaels will travel to Seattle for their first road game with the Redhawks since the season prior in December of 2011. The Gaels have won their five meetings by an average of 10.8 points as they'll look to make it six straight Saturday afternoon.
ABOUT THE WAVES (11-8, 2-5)
Pepperdine sits at 11-8 overall and 2-5 in conference play, having dropped three of their previous four games after their eight-point win over Saint Mary's earlier this month. The Waves suffered a heartbreaking overtime defeat to LMU, a three-point loss to San Diego and then a one-point loss to Oregon State last Saturday. Both teams sit at 2-5 in conference play making for a pivotal matchup in Moraga Thursday night.
In conference play, Elli Guiney leads the Waves with over 15 points per game and is one of the team's purest shooters, averaging 41% from three and 48% from the field. Meghan Fiso and Lina Falk are also averaging double figures through seven conference games while Shorna Preston ranks second in the WCC with 9.1 rebounds per game.
ABOUT THE REDHAWKS (5-13, 1-6)
Seattle U enters the week at 5-13 and 1-6 in conference play, tied for last with San Diego in the WCC standings. After starting 0-4 in conference play the Redhawks recorded their first WCC victory over San Diego 68-62 but have since dropped two more games to Oregon State and Portland. This week, they'll take on Santa Clara and then Saint Mary's in a pair of home games on Thursday and Saturday.
Seattle ranks ninth in scoring at 63.3 points per game but are dead last defensively, allowing 74.5 points. They are fairly efficient from beyond the arc, shooting the three ball at 30% for seventh in the WCC but sit atop the rankings as the best free throw shooting team in the conference at 78%. Double-digit scorers in Ella Brubaker and Tamia Stricklin lead the way offensively for the Redhawks. Brubaker ranks top-10 in the conference averaging 14.8 points per game on 43% shooting while Stricklin averages 11.7 points and leads the team with over six rebounds per game.
Tickets for both games can be bought online at smcgaels.com and fans can catch all the action live on ESPN+.
Be sure to follow your Gaels on Facebook, Instagram, and X to get all the latest Saint Mary's athletics updates and information.
#GaelsRise
Players Mentioned
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