NAMPA, Idaho – After falling behind by 16-points in the first half, the Saints stormed back on a 20-3 run to take a second half lead over Northwest Nazarene. However, the Nighthawks won the battle down-low all night, scoring 52 points in the paint en route to the 92-83 victory.
 
Despite another 20+ point performance by Makenna Schultz, and 18 points by Mercedes Victor, the Saints (6-15, 2-11) were outscored 56-32 in the paint and outrebounded by 15 as Northwest Nazarene (15-3, 11-2) captured their six straight GNAC victory.

"NNU is a very talented team both offensively and defensively," said head coach Christy Martin. "They create a lot of issues with their size, shooters, and extended high pressure defense. We did a very good job of playing tough and battling. We were undersized in every position yet we did not back down."
 
Both sides traded baskets in the early goings, with Northwest Nazarene holding a slight 7-6 edge, four minutes into the game. A 3-pointer by Jayla Russ tied the game at 9-9 as she scored seven of the first nine points for SMU. The Nighthawks rattled off seven straight points to jumpstart their 14-4 run, ending the first quarter with a 27-17 lead.
 
A 3-pointer by Rebekah Baugh helped cut the lead to single-digits in the second quarter; however, the Saints were not able to pull within more than eight. Northwest Nazarene continued to apply offensive pressure and extended their lead out to as many as 16 in the second quarter. The Nighthawks carried a 48-37 lead into halftime.
 
Schultz, who ended with 13 first half points, led off the second half with a basket to pull Saint Martin's within single-digits. A 3-pointer by Saniah Simpson-Patu, followed by a fast break bucket for her, and a jumper by Victor brought SMU to within one possession at 49-46. The comeback was complete after a Victor layup tied the game and a Schultz jumper put SMU on top 51-49 with 4:50 remaining in the quarter. The Saints used a 20-3 to erase a 16-point deficit in the matter of six minutes. Despite the Saints' run, the Nighthawks quickly responded and reclaimed an eight-point lead after the third quarter.
 
The Nighthawks defense stifled the Saints' offense, only allowing two field goals over a five-minute stretch, and increasing NNU's lead to 10 with 6:07 left. Despite baskets by Victor and 3-pointers by Emma Kennedy, the Nighthawks held off the Saints for a 92-83 victory.

"Our Achilles heel continues to be rebounding," said Martin. "If we can get that figured out, we could get a few upsets moving forward. Overall, this was one of our best team efforts on the offensive end. Again, I love the fight and tenacity in this team."
 
Schultz ended the night with 26 points on 7-for-14 shooting, including 9-for-10 at the line and three 3-pointers. Victor set a new season-high in points with 18 on 6-for-10 shooting, while Russ finished with 14 points and five rebounds. Simpson-Patu added 12 points and four assists, along Baugh grabbing six rebounds and collecting four assists as well.

As a team, Saint Martin's shot the ball well, going 28-for-58 (48.3 percent) from the floor, 9-for-17 (52.9 percent) beyond the arc, and 18-for-24 (75.0 percent) from the free throw line. The Saints collected 24 rebounds, 16 assists on 16 turnovers, seven steals and one block.
 
The Saints travel back to Washington to face the Wildcats of Central Washington on Saturday. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:15 p.m. PST with live stats and video links available on smusaints.com.