SEATTLE – Tied at halftime, Seattle Pacific's defense proved to be too much for the Saints in the second half, as Saint Martin's fell 61-50 on Saturday.
 
After shooting 40 percent in the first half, the Saints' (1-2) struggled to find their footing against Seattle Pacific (2-1) in the second half. SMU shot 6-for-27 (22.2 percent) from the field and only 2-for-9 beyond the arc in the final 20. Mallory Vivola for the second straight night SMU in scoring with 14 points off the bench. Claire Dingus added 12 rebounds, and Emily Nelson finished at 10 points and five rebounds.
 
Seattle Pacific jumped out to an early 7-2 lead before three straight baskets from Nelson, and a 3-pointer from Vivola tied the game at 9-9. Saint Martin's ended the quarter on a small 7-2 run, highlighted by a Lauryn Morris 3-pointer, and carried a 21-17 lead into the break.
 
The Saints' offense got off to slow start in the second quarter, scoring five points in the first seven and half minutes. However, back-to-back 3-pointers from Tierney DeDonatis and Janealle Sutterlict helped SMU tie the game 32-32 entering halftime.
 
The game remained close throughout most of the third quarter, with SMU getting to within three. However, it was the closest the Saints got for the rest of the game. Seattle Pacific locked in on the defensive end, limiting SMU to only six third quarter points.
 
In the fourth quarter, Seattle Pacific's lead stretch out to as many as 18 before the Saints rattled off 10 straight points. The lead proved to be too much for the Saints to overcome at the end, falling 61-50 on the road.
 
The game was originally scheduled to be at Saint Martin's; however, due to a power failure on campus, the game was moved to Seattle Pacific just hours before tip-off.
 
Saint Martin's shot 19-for-59 (32.2 percent) from the floor, 8-for-22 (36.4 percent) beyond the arc, and 4-for-6 at the line. SMU was outrebounded 47-to-30, while collecting 13 assists on 14 turnovers with seven steals and four blocks.
 
The Saints don't return to the court until Sunday, January 24 at 4:00 PM against Division-I opponent Portland. Live stats and video will be available on smusaints.com.