LACEY, Wash. – The Saints out scored Pacific Lutheran, 29-6 in the third quarter to propel them to a convincing 64-41 victory at home.
 
The Saints (2-0) struggled to find their rhythm in the first half but Rian Clear's 18 points and the suffocating defense in the third quarter helped SMU pull away from Pacific Lutheran (1-2).
 
Lauryn Morris opened the scoring for the Saints with a driving layup. After this, the two teams exchanged the lead for the entire first quarter. At the end of the first quarter, Pacific Lutheran (2-1) led 19-6.
 
Both team had trouble scoring in the second quarter, scoring 12 combined. The Lutes held a one point, 24-23 lead at the half.
 
After the break, the Saints ramped up their defensive intensity and ran a full court press that was the catalyst for a massive 25-4 run that took up the majority of the third quarter. The Saints forced a total of 12 turnovers and at the end of the quarter SMU held a comfortable 52-30 lead.  
 
Saint Martin's reeled back their press in the fourth quarter but kept up the strong defensive effort, and cruised to a 64-41 win.
 
Rian Clear led the way for the Saints with 18 points. Behind her, Claire Dingus had 14 points, six rebounds, and six assists. Tierney DeDonatis also had double-digits with 10 points and five assists.
 
The Saints will be heading to Monmouth, Oregon for their next game against Sonoma State on Friday, November 19th at 2 PM.