SEATTLE, WA — Saint Martin's Women's Basketball (9-4, 2-3 GNAC) squared off against the Seattle Pacific Falcons at the Royal Brougham Pavilion in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference contest.

The Saints would start the game out with a pair of three-pointers from Jada Travis to put them out in front while Avery Oaster would keep the momentum in favor of Saint Martin's with baskets in the paint for an extremely efficient first period. Travis and Oaster would put up ten points each during the contest, with the two being the team's only scorers in the game's first ten minutes. The pair would also combine for 11 rebounds, six assists, two steals, and a block as the Saints would hold a 12-9 lead at the end of the first period. Kiana Rios would join the two on the offensive front in the second period and never look back, rolling to a fifth-consecutive double-digit scoring performance with 23 total points, eight rebounds, and two assists. Rios's spark would help other Saints get involved, with Keeli Jade Smith recording nine points while Kasey Booster would follow closely behind with eight of her own. The team would outscore the Falcons 21-11 in the second and take a 33-20 lead going into halftime.

The defensive effort would be especially impactful for the Saints throughout the contest, with Oaster and Sarah Lamet posting major contributions in the paint. Lamet would contribute four points, four rebounds, two assists, two steals, and a team-leading two blocks during the game. The defense would be energized by their efforts and the team would continue to fly around the court to snuff out the Falcon attack. The offensive front would look just as efficient as it had in the first half, with Rios continuing to lead the way. Madelyn Brown would chime in with five points, three boards, and three assists, along with Mya Hatchett, who would contribute three assists of her own, two points, and a steal in 16 minutes of game time. The Falcons would find a bit of a rhythm towards the end of the contest, but the Saints would keep their distance and win the game by a score of 71-58. SMU would go 28-60 (46.7%) from the field and an impressive 6-14 (42.9%) from beyond the arc to grab their second conference win of the season and their ninth overall, already surpassing last season's win total.

Head Coach Natalie Marlowe was encouraged by the team's response following a couple of tough losses the week prior:

"Kiana (Rios) continues to be a force for us. She had a quiet 23 tonight and missed some that usually bounce her way. As a team, our defense was energetic and disciplined. I'm really happy with how we responded after a tough weekend. We had great contributions across the board on both ends of the floor. Seeing some shots fall from behind the arc was great for our confidence going into a big game on Saturday."

SMU Women's Basketball will be back in action this Saturday, January 11th, against Montana State Billings at 1:00 PM PST. You can get tickets here.