LACEY, WA — Saint Martin's Women's Basketball (17-10, 6th seed GNAC) faced the third-seeded Central Washington Wildcats in the first round of the GNAC Championships in an intense playoff matchup.

The Saints started the contest hot on offense, with Sarah Lamet getting to work near the basket early. Lamet faced foul trouble in the first half but was able to but up six points and grab two rebounds. She was helped by Avery Oaster and Madelyn Brown in the first couple of minutes with a pair of scores before Jada Travis would begin to take over. Travis led the Saints with 16 points on 7-12 (58.3%) shooting and a perfect 2-2 from beyond the arc in one of her most electrifying performances of the season and led SMU to a 20-17 after the first period. The second period was a more back-and-fourth affair and saw the lead change hands multiple times, ultimately going to halftime with a score of 34-33 in favor of Central Washington.

The second half saw both defenses tighten down, with both teams only scoring six points each in the third period. The Saints' defense was anchored by Travis, who led the team with seven boards, and Iternite Reed, Madelyn Brown, Kasey Booster, and Kiana Rios, who each recorded four rebounds throughout the contest. The extra possessions helped the Saints reclaim the lead to begin the fourth period where they would begin to pull away from the Wildcats. Oaster and Keeli Jade Smith would each score nine points and contribute to crucial points down the stretch, and clutch free-throws in the game's final moments sealed the victory for Saint Martin's. It is the program's first trip to the GNAC Semifinals since 2014.

The GNAC interviewed Travis, Coach Marlowe, and Rios after the first-round win that you can watch here.

SMU Women's Basketball will be back in action on Friday, March 7th at 7:30 PM against the second-seeded Montana State Billings Yellowjackets. You can get more information about the GNAC Championships, including ticket information, here.