LACEY, WA — Saint Martin's Women's Basketball (16-10, 9-9 GNAC) hosted the Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks on Thursday, February 27th, and the Alaska Anchorage Seawolves on Saturday, March 1st, to close out their regular season.

On Thursday, SMU squared off against the Nanooks in what was a crucial end-of-season game. Saint Martin's rose to the challenge, jumping out to a 10-3 lead to start the game thanks to big shots from Kasey Booster and Jada Travis. Booster scored 15 points on 6-10 (60%) shooting from the field and 3-7 (42.9%) from the three-point line while Travis had a stellar point guard performance, with 13 points, seven assists, four boards, and a team-leading three steals. The pair would lead the Saints through the first period with a lead, and the team would not look back for the duration of the contest. Avery Oaster would be the team's main force on offense, tying her career-high with 16 points and six points in what was one of her best days in the paint. Keeli Jade Smith would help widen the gap for SMU, contributing 11 points on important possessions down the stretch. Alaska Fairbanks kept themselves in the contest with improved shooting as it progressed, but the Saints would continue to keep their lead to a few possessions. Momentum would stay on SMU's side out of halftime with a handful of other Saints contributing to the final score, and the Saints would keep the Nanooks at arm's length to defeat them, 64-55. The win would secure Saint Martin's Women's Basketball a spot in the upcoming GNAC Women's Basketball Tournament, which is something the program as not outright clinched since 2015.

Head Coach Natalie Marlowe was proud of her team for punching their ticket to the postseason:

"I could not be happier for this group and especially our seniors. They've been here longer than I have and are finally getting a chance to experience post-season action. I'm so proud of how our team has continued to persevere through adversity this season. Kasey had a great game on both ends of the floor. I love the efficiency from Avery. Keeli hit some big shots in crucial moments. I love this team and am so proud of them for earning their spot in the GNAC Tournament."

Even with a playoff spot secured, Saint Martin's still had work to do against the GNAC regular season champions of Alaska Anchorage on Saturday. The Saints would once again start on the attack, jumping out to an early 10-2 lead before the Seawolves would settle in. Travis would take the lead on the scoring efforts for SMU, putting up a team-leading 19 points. The Saints would put together a well-rounded gameplan that saw multiple players step into important roles. Madelyn Brown would be the squad's defensive anchor as UAA started to pick up momentum and Sarah Lamet would be the main defender down low, leading the Saints with seven rebounds during the game. Even with multiple contributors, the Saints would quickly fall behind the Seawolves as the game continued. Anchorage would take a 35-26 lead at half and hold onto it through the third period, expanding it to as many as 13 points during their scoring run. In the fourth period, however, the Saints would find a spark through Kiana Rios, who would quickly rack up points to finish the contest with 15, with many contributions coming in clutch moments. The Saints would continue to chip away at the Alaska Anchorage lead until a layup by Rios with 40 seconds left to play would give SMU their first lead of the game since the first period. Anchorage would put up one final attack, but SMU's defense and free-throw shooting would win them the game, 57-53. The Saints also celebrated senior night, with Keeli Jade Smith, Iternite Reed, and Brea Martinez being honored for their commitment to the Women's Basketball program over the years. It was a statement win to cap off the regular season.

SMU Women's Basketball will be facing the third-seeded Central Washington Wildcats in the first round of the GNAC Women's Basketball Tournament on Thursday, March 6th, at 7:30 PM in Marcus Pavilion. You can get tournament information and ticket links here.