LACEY, Wash. — The Saint Martin's Women's Basketball team opened the 2026-27 season with a victory at home against Cal Poly Humboldt, winning 49-46 on Tuesday, November 10.
The Saints trailed early on, before a huge run in the second quarter put the team ahead, and a stout defensive effort kept Saint Martin's ahead. The victory improved the Saints' record to 1-0 on the season.
How It Happened
First Quarter
- Cal Poly Humboldt opened the game on a 6-0 run, before Saint Martin's settled in and brought the deficit to 6-5 after a layup by Laiken Hill and a three-pointer by Jada Travis.
- The Lumberjacks led by as much as six in the first quarter, and a layup with two seconds remaining saw the Saints end the first quarter trailing 13-9.
Second Quarter
- After the Lumberjacks scored the first basket of the second quarter, Laiken Hill scored seven straight points for the Saints, and Avery Oaster and Libby Nelson followed up with baskets of their own, extending a massive 12-0 run that put Saint Martin's ahead 21-15 with 6:39 left in the first half.
- The Saints pushed ahead by as much as seven points (24-17) with just over six minutes on the clock, before Cal Poly Humboldt trimmed the lead to 24-22.
- Each team traded buckets as the Saints held a steady lead throughout the remainder of the quarter, going into halftime leading 32-28. The Saints shot 8-12 (75%) from the field in the second quarter.
Third Quarter
- The Saints limited the Lumberjacks to 23% from the field in the third quarter, as each team saw its lowest-scoring frame of the game.
- Cal Poly Humboldt started the quarter on a 5-0 run and retook the lead, going up 33-32 with 8:12 on the clock.
- Saint Martin's bounced back with a 7-2 run to close out the quarter, taking a 39-35 advantage into the fourth quarter.
Fourth Quarter
- The Saints came out strong in the fourth quarter, pulling ahead 45-37 with 7:18 on the clock.
- The Lumberjacks responded with a 7-0 run to trim the lead to 45-44 with 3:04 remaining.
- A layup by Laiken Hill at the 2:34 mark put Saint Martin's up 47-44.
- Cal Poly Humboldt made two free-throws at the 1:21 mark, but Daeja Holland responded with a tough basket on the ensuing possession to put Saint Martin's ahead 49-46 with 1:05 left in regulation.
- The Saints held the Lumberjacks scoreless on their last four possessions, clinching a 49-46 victory in the season opener.
Top Performers
- Laiken Hill and Karyss Lacanlale led the Saints' scoring efforts with 11 points each. Hill grabbed five rebounds and Lacanlale led the Saints with six assists.
- Avery Oaster totaled eight points, 11 rebounds, and two steals.
- Harper Wagner tallied three points, eight rebounds, and two steals.
Team Stats
- The Saints capitalized off 30 points in the paint.
- Saint Martin's held Cal Poly Humboldt to 35.3% from the field and 11.8% from three-point range.
- The Saints shot 41.9% from the field (18-43).
- Saint Martin's held a 34-26 advantage in rebounding.
Up Next
The Saints will head to San Diego to compete at the CCAA/PacWest/GNAC Challenge, facing No. 6 Cal Poly Pomona on Nov. 13 and Cal State San Marcos on Nov. 14.
