LACEY, Wash. — The Saint Martin's Women's Basketball team defeated Seattle Pacific 83-43 behind a massive second-half effort at Marcus Pavilion on Thursday, January 8.
After a slow start to the game, the Saints outscored the Falcons by a combined 40 points in the final three quarters, including a historically strong third-quarter effort in which the Saints scored 33 points. The win improved the Saints' record to 8-6 overall and 4-1 in GNAC play.
How It Happened
First Quarter
- Both teams took some time to get into a rhythm on offense, as a Harper Wagner layup just before the five-minute mark put the Saints up 4-3 halfway through the frame.
- The lead tilted back and forth throughout the remainder of the first quarter, before a late jumper by Laiken Hill tied the game at 10-10 after the first 10 minutes of regulation.
- The Saints played strong defense in the first quarter, limiting the Falcons to 28.6% from the field and forcing seven turnovers, two of which were forced shot clock violations.
Second Quarter
- The Saints scored five unanswered to start off the second quarter, before the Falcons scored their first bucket of the period just before the five-minute mark, bringing the score to 15-12 halfway through the first.
- At the 3:32 mark, Karyss Lacanlale hit a corner three-pointer to put the Saints ahead 20-14. After Seattle Pacific scored a basket, Lacanlale hit another three with 2:40 on the clock to extend the lead to 23-16.
- A last-second layup by Karyss Lacanlale put the Saints up 28-19 at halftime. Lacanlale led all scorers with 11 first-half points.
- The Saints forced 12 turnovers in the first half.
Third Quarter
- After each team exchanged a three-pointer within the first minute of the second half, the Saints embarked on a massive 17-0 run that saw Saint Martin's build a 48-22 lead at the media timeout. The run saw three-pointers from Laiken Hill and Kasey Booster.
- The Saints erupted on offense in the third quarter, as Booster hit back-to-back three-pointers to put the Saints up 54-25 with 3:02 remaining in the quarter. Booster hit a jumper and three-pointer on later possessions, leading an offensive surge by the Saints.
- Saint Martin's pushed its lead to 61-33 at the end of the frame, as the Saints went 11-15 (73.3%) from the field and 6-9 (66.7%) from three-point in a game-changing third quarter.
- The Saints out scored the Falcons 33-14 in the third quarter, marking the highest-scoring quarter of the season by Saint Martin's.
Fourth Quarter
- The Saints kept up the strong offensive momentum in the fourth quarter, out-scoring the Falcons 22-10 and pushing the lead to 40 points at the final whistle.
Top Performers
- Avery Oaster scored 20 points and added seven rebounds, two blocks, and two assists.
- Kasey Booster scored a career-high 20 points, shooting 7-10 from the field and 6-9 from three-point range.
- Karyss Lacanlale finished with a career-best 13 points, seven assists, and four rebounds.
- Laiken Hill totaled 14 points, six rebounds, and three assists.
Team Stat of the Game
- The Saints out-scored the Falcons 33-14 in the third quarter, marking the team's highest-scoring quarter since November 19, 2021, when the Saints scored 33 points in the fourth quarter against Sonoma State to come from behind and win 68-63.
- The 40-point margin of victory for Saint Martin's marked the second time this season the Saints have defeated an opponent by 40 or more points.
Up Next
The Saints will return to Marcus Pavilion on Jan. 10, facing Montana State Billings at 3 p.m.
