LACEY, WA — Saint Martin's Women's Basketball (10-6, 3-5 GNAC) hosted the Central Washington Wildcats on Thursday to kick off the 2025 Pack The Pav doubleheader in a key conference matchup.

The Saints would be met with an efficient Wildcats attack from the beginning of the game, but Central Washington would be matched by one of the Saints' seasoned veterans. Keeli Jade Smith would have her highest-scoring game in over a year, putting up 21 points and recording five steals in a stellar performance from the Hilo, Hawai'i native. Smith would go 2-4 (50%) from beyond the arc, 6-13 (46.2%) from the field, and a perfect 7-7 from the free throw line. She would be aided in the paint by Avery Oaster, who would record nine points and five rebounds, and Sarah Lamet, who would contribute five points and five boards herself. Even with the Saints being able to keep pace, the Wildcats would keep them at arm's length, out-scoring them in the first period 25-15. Madelyn Brown would chime in as a starter and score seven points with a steal and block. The Saints would inch closer to tying the Wildcats but would find themselves still trailing at the half, 30-25.

Both teams would see an increase in offensive production in the second half with more Saints getting involved. Kiana Rios would not score until the second half, but as the game continued, she would provide a spark that the offense needed to keep the game close. Rios would have a perfect day from the stripe, just like Smith, going 10-10 en route to scoring 14 total points in the final 20 minutes of the contest. Jada Travis would also have a slow start to the game but would be a key contributor as the contest wore on, as she would score 11 points, four assists, and two boards. Mya Hatchett would also step in and put up five points as a complimentary addition to the scoring efforts. Their combined efforts would see the Saints take the lead for the first time all night, but they would trade leads back-and-fourth with Central Washington before the Wildcats would re-claim their lead. SMU would stay within a couple of possessions of CWU, but would ultimately lose the contest by a score of 77-72.

SMU Women's Basketball will be back in the Pavilion this Saturday, January 25th, as they take on the Northwest Nazarene Nighthawks at 3:00 PM. You can get tickets here, and reserve your spot for the Warming Up With The Saints tailgate at 2:00 PM!