BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Saint Martin's led for a majority of the game against Minnesota Crookston; however, a 14-4 run by the Golden Eagles sparked the fourth quarter comeback. UMC knocked down five baskets and all four free throws down the stretch to win 70-65 over SMU.
The Saints relied heavily on their starters for just about everything, as the bench combined for only six points and four rebounds. Four starters played 35 minutes or more, and the Saints were unable to finish 40 minutes against Minnesota Crookston. The Saints lead by as many as 14 in the second half; however, the Golden Eagles pecked away until using the final run to silence the Saints.
In the opening quarter, the Saints transitioned great defense into offensive opportunities. SMU limited Minnesota Crookston to only two points through the first 8:24 minutes. The Saints capitalized on the strong defensive pressure by attacking down low, with
Megan Nilsson scoring six points. Saint Martin's opened the game on a controlling 12-2 run and ended the quarter with a 14-6 lead.
Minnesota Crookston was able to string together a couple scoring plays at the end of the first quarter, and kept the momentum rolling the second quarter. After a double-digit lead to start, the Saints saw their lead dwindle down to as little as four with 1:52 left in the half. In the closing minutes,
Saniah Simpson-Patu knocked down a mid-range jumper, and Schultz connected on back-to-back 3-pointers to put SMU back up 31-19 going into the break.
The double-digit lead did not last long in the third quarter however. Seven minutes into the quarter, Minnesota Crookston managed to not only erase the lead, but take their first lead of the game at 46-43. The Saints responded in the final minutes again, using baskets by Simpson and
Claire Dingus to take a 51-46 lead into the final quarter.
Despite leading almost all of the game, Minnesota Crookston put together a complete fourth quarter to overcome the Saints. The Golden Eagles took the lead on a 14-4 run and never looked back. In the final possessions,
Jayla Russ managed to convert an old-fashion 3-point play to cut the score to 68-65, followed by a steal by
Mercedes Victor. With a chance to tie the game, the Saints committed an errant pass and turned over the ball. The Golden Eagles sealed the 70-65 win at the free throw line.
Schultz, who played in 39 minutes, scored 16 points, with 4-of-7 3-point shooting, along with three steals and two assists. Simpson-Patu added 16 points and four rebounds, while Nilsson collected 14 points and four rebounds as well. Dingus managed a team-leading eight rebounds, with five points, and
Jayla Russ had eight points, three rebounds and three assists.
The Saints as a team shot 28-for-57 (49.1 percent) from the field, 5-for-10 from beyond the arc, and 4-of-9 (44.4 percent) at the free throw line. Saint Martin's ended with 30 rebounds, 12 assists on 18 turnovers, and 10 steals.
The Saints face University of Mary to round out the Lynda Goodrich Classic tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. Live stats and video will be available with links on smusaints.com.
