LACEY, Wash. – The Saint Martin's women's basketball (4-6, 0-2 GNAC) did something Saturday night that they hadn't done as a program since 2001, score over 100 points in a regulation game. The offensive explosion was all a part of the decisive 101-60 win for the Saints over Evergreen State College (5-1, 2-1 CCC).
The success did not come without its early tribulations as SMU found themselves down right out the gates with the opening two buckets going the way of Evergreen. After
Anjel Galbraith and
Chenoa Louie each hit a bucket, the score was back tied, but again the Geoducks found a bucket and got up 6-4. From there, the quarter belonged to SMU. Galbraith and
Kiana Rios each hit a three before
Lauryn Morris successfully converted a three-point play. Rios then splashed another three, before Morris and
Avery Oaster were the recipients of beautiful passes that led to easy layups. When the dust had settled on the quarter, it was Louie that made a bucket right before the clock expired to give Saint Martin's a 28-10 advantage going into the second.
The Geoducks played well in the second, but the third quarter outburst from the Saints eliminated all chance of an Evergreen comeback. In a quarter bookended by two Rios threes, SMU stuffed 32 points on the scoreboard, their highest single-quarter scoring output of the season. Not only did Rios climb her way high in the points category, as she would eventually get to 26 on the night, but it was in the third that Galbraith started to get a sniff of a possible triple-double. Although she came up just short, Galbraith's final output of 30 points, nine assists, and six steals was one of the closest stat line any GNAC player has come to a triple-double all season. Not to mention she did it on 11-12 shooting from the field.
Despite playing just 21 minutes, Louie was a monster on the glass, grabbing 11 rebounds and it was freshman big
Sarah Lamet that scored a career-high eight points including the final bucket from the left elbow that rolled in to give SMU the century mark. This was the highest scoring total by any GNAC team all season, and the 30 from Galbraith was the fifth highest single-game effort from any GNAC player in 2022-23. The last time the Saints score over 100 points it was in a 103-107 triple overtime loss to the college now named Utah Tech (previously Dixie State) on November 17
th, 2018. Before that, you have to go back to December 28
th, 2001 for the last time the Saints women's team put up over 100 in just four quarters. That was in 102-62 win over Cascade. The leading scorer that day for Saint Martin's was Brandi Riel who had 18 points to go along with 13 rebounds in a double-double effort.
The Saints will now welcome three weeks of rest before getting back into conference action on New Year's Eve with a matchup against Western Oregon University (6-2, 0-2 GNAC). That tilt is scheduled for 3 PM from Marcus Pavilion.
