ELLENSBURG, Wash. — The Saint Martin's Women's Basketball team lost a neck-and-neck battle at Central Washington that came down to the final possessions, falling 57-54 on Thursday, January 22.

Neither team led by more than six points at any point in the game, as the Saints pushed toward victory down to the final possessions, but ultimately came up just short. The loss dropped the Saints' record to 10-7 on the season and 6-2 in GNAC play.

How It Happened
First Quarter

• Both teams shot the ball with similar success in the first quarter, as the Saints went 5-12 (41.7%), and held a narrow 15-14 lead after the first frame.
• The Saints started off the game on a 6-0 run, and led 10-4 with 3:42 remaining in the quarter.
• The Wildcats ended the frame on a 7-2 run, trimming the Saint Martin's lead to 15-14 after the first period.

Second Quarter

• Both teams saw their shooting percentage drop significantly in the second quarter, in a neck-and-neck quarter that saw the Wildcats out score the Saints 12-11.
• Both teams traded the lead early in the quarter, before a pair of Jada Travis free-throws in the final seconds knotted the game at 26-26 at halftime.

Third Quarter

• The Saints pulled ahead with a strong third quarter, shooting 4-10 (40%) from the field and out scoring the WIldcats 14-10. Saint Martin's limited Central Washington to 28.6% from the field.
• The quarter started neck-and-neck, before Saint Martin's pulled ahead 36-31 with a Kiana Rios layup at the 2:22 mark.
• Jada Travis hit a layup with time expiring, giving the Saints a 40-36 lead heading into the fourth frame.

Fourth Quarter

• The Wildcats put together a huge fourth quarter, out scoring the Saints 21-14, flipping the script.
• An Avery Oaster free-throw tied the game at 44-44 with 6:17 remaining in regulation, before the game eventually moved to 50-50 with 3:16 on the clock after the Saints overcame a four-point deficit.
• With 1:54 on the clock, a layup by Kiana Rios pushed Saint Martin's within one point (52-53).
• The Saints saw a close-range shot attempt with just under 40 seconds on the clock, but the Wildcats made a crucial defensive hold that saw the game tilt toward Central Washington. After the Wildcats hit two free-throws, the Saints drew a foul and drew within 55-54 with a pair of successful free-throws by Avery Oaster.
• After the Wildcats hit two free-throws with under 10 seconds to go, a potential game-tying three-pointer by Laiken Hill was blocked by Central Washington, as the Saints fell by a final score of 57-54.

Top Performers

• Kiana Rios led the Saints with 18 points, and added four rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
• Avery Oaster totaled 13 points and 11 rebounds, her second double-double of the year.
• Laiken Hill tallied eight points and eight rebounds.
• Jada Travis finished with eight points, five rebounds, four assists, two steals, and one block.

Up Next

The Saints will end a three-game road trip, facing Northwest Nazarene at 4:15 pm PT on Jan. 24.