FAIRBANKS, Alaska – Saint Martin's had four players score in double-digits, led by Makenna Schultz and her 19-point, five rebound, two assist game, to topple the Nanooks of Alaska 83-74.
 
Saint Martin's opened up the game on a 30-9 run to establish control early over Alaska. The Nanooks managed to slowly cut into the lead over the course of the game, trimming the score down to as little as two. However, down the stretch in the final minute, Saint Martin's connected on seven free throws to ice the game.
 
After a 6-5 start in favor of SMU, the Saints proceeded to rattle off 24 of the next 28 points in the game to pull away. With a sizable lead, the Saints continued to put pressure on the Nanooks in the first half and went into the locker room with a 41-23 lead.
 
Despite the Saints looking to pull away in the second half and seal the victory easily, the Nanooks battled back. Over the course of next 17 minutes, stretching the entire third and most of the fourth, Alaska was able to pull within one possession.
 
The Saints' lead was sitting at 69-67, with 2:35 left to go, and the SMU offense needed a spark. Jayla Russ completed an old-fashion 3-point play and the momentum swung back to SMU. Following the play, Saint Martin's scored nine of the next 11 points, including five from Saniah Simpson-Patu. The Saints managed to open up a double-digit lead in the matter of minutes and cruised to the 83-74 win.
 
Schultz led the way with 19 points, including 3-for-5 from beyond the arc, to go along with her five rebounds and two assists. Claire Dingus added 12 points and a team-leading eight rebounds, while Simpson-Patu finished with 11 points, four rebounds, and three assists. Russ came off the bench for 14 points, and Rebekah Baugh contributed her nine points and five rebounds. Megan Nilsson scored eight points and grabbed five rebounds down low.
 
The Saints as a team shot 24-for-66 (36.4 percent) from the field, 8-for-18 (44.4 percent) beyond the arc, and 27-for-32 (84.4 percent) from the free throw line. SMU grabbed 49 rebounds, nine assists on 13 turnovers, along with four steals and blocks.
 
Saint Martin's hits the road once again, traveling to Seattle to face off against the Falcons of Seattle Pacific on Tuesday. The game is set for a 7:00 p.m. tip-off with live stats and video available on smusaints.com.