A 3-pointer that didn’t find the mark spelled the difference in the Saint Martin’s women’s basketball team losing to Central Washington 57-54 in Great Northern Athletic Conference (GNAC) action on Thursday, Jan. 22 in Ellensburg.
The game was a close affair the entire way, with neither team leading by more than six points. With the loss, Saint Martin’s fell to 10-7 on the season and 6-2 in GNAC play.
In the first quarter, Saint Martin's gained a 15-14 lead largely thanks to a 6-0 run to begin the game. Shooting dried up in the second quarter, and while both teams traded leads in the stanza, Saint Martin’s Jada Travis hit free throws to knot the game at 26-26 at halftime.
In the third quarter, Saint Martin's pulled ahead 36-31, thanks to a Kiana Rios layup with 2:22 left in the period. Travis hit a layup with time expiring in the quarter to give the Saints a 40-36 lead entering the fourth.
Central Washington outscored the Saints by seven points in the fourth quarter. The game became knotted 50-50 with 3:16 left in the game, and several late plays kept the lead going back and fourth.
The Saints got a pair of free throws from Avery Oaster to pull within 55-54, but the Wildcats hit two free throws as well to go up by three points. A late 3-pointer by Laiken Hill missed the mark for the final score.
Rios finished with 18 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals for the Saints. Hill added eight points and eight rebounds.
Travis notched eight points, five rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block.
Central Washington improved to 17-1 overall and 8-0 in the GNAC.
Saint Martin’s will travel to Northwest Nazarene on Jan. 24 for its next game, with tipoff at 4:15 p.m.
