FAIRBANKS, Alaska – A quick hot start to both the first and second halves powered the Saints to a nine-point victory over Alaska on Thursday night.
 
Three players carried the load for the Saints (12-13, 4-12 GNAC) in Claire Dingus, Rian Clear, and Tierney DeDonatis. The three combined for 63 of the Saints' 78 points, led by Dingus' 26. Dingus and Clear also finished with nine rebounds each, and DeDonatis added in nine assists.
 
Alaska began the game with an 8-3 run and held a lead until the 4:31 minute mark when Dingus converted on a layup to tie the game at 12-12. On the following possession, Dingus scored again to put the Saints on top, and SMU never looked back.
 
Saint Martin's closed the first quarter on a 13-4 run and looked to be in control of the game. However, the Nanooks found life in second quarter, cutting into the lead and trailing Saint Martin's by only three entering halftime.
 
Despite the momentum shift, the Saints quickly answered back to start the second half. Three straight baskets from the Saints pushed the lead back out to nine in the opening two and half minutes. By the end of the quarter, the Saints' lead touched double-digits for the first time, reaching as high as 13.
 
Alaska never had an answer to the Saints' offense, as SMU coasted the down the final ten minutes, scoring 21 points, and left town with a 78-69 victory.
 
As a team, Saint Martin's shot nearly 50 percent from the field, but only 33 percent beyond the arc. At the line, the Saints were a season-best 22-for-25. SMU also converted 19 assists on 26 made baskets.
 
The Saints return to action for one final regular season game on Saturday, taking on Alaska Anchorage at 6:15 PM. Live stats and video will be available on smusaints.com.