BELLINGHAM, Wash. — A decisive second-quarter surge by Western Washington proved to be the difference Saturday afternoon, as Saint Martin’s University women’s basketball fell 77-60 to the Vikings in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play.
The teams were evenly matched in three of the four quarters, but Western Washington’s 17-6 advantage in the second quarter allowed the Vikings to seize control and remain in front the rest of the way. The loss dropped Saint Martin’s to 7-6 overall and 3-1 in GNAC action.
Saint Martin’s came out sharp offensively in the opening quarter, shooting 6-of-10 from the field and a perfect 3-of-3 from beyond the arc. Despite being outrebounded early, the Saints built a slim 22-21 lead after one quarter behind eight points from Jada Travis. A 3-pointer by Laiken Hill midway through the quarter helped the Saints open a brief 12-6 edge before Western Washington answered to keep the game close.
Momentum shifted in the second quarter as the Saints struggled to find the basket, managing just one field goal on 15 attempts. Western Washington capitalized with a 9-0 run to open the period and outscored Saint Martin’s by 11 in the quarter, taking a 38-28 lead into halftime.
The Vikings continued to press early in the third, again opening the quarter with a 9-0 run to extend the margin to 47-28. Saint Martin’s responded with a strong push of its own, using a 9-2 run to cut the deficit to 12 points midway through the period. A layup by Kiana Rios brought the Saints within 10, but Western Washington maintained control and led 59-48 entering the fourth.
Saint Martin’s made one final push in the closing minutes. Back-to-back 3-pointers by Hill and Kasey Booster trimmed the margin to 66-58 with just over three minutes remaining. The Vikings answered with a quick scoring burst, however, and the Saints were unable to close the gap down the stretch.
Rios led Saint Martin’s with 17 points, converting all nine of her free-throw attempts. Hill finished with 11 points, including three 3-pointers, while Travis and Avery Oaster each scored 10 points. Travis also pulled down a team-high seven rebounds.
Saint Martin’s will return home to Lacey on Jan. 8 to host Seattle Pacific in GNAC play, with tipoff scheduled for 7 p.m.
