Nine for a trio of Gaels: Against Eastern Washington, Jada Hunter, pictured, and teammates Maia Jones and Ella Wedin all scored nine. / Photo by Tod Fierner for SMC Athletics
In Women’s Basketball, Gaels Complete Two-Game Sweep over Eastern Washington and Louisiana Monroe at Bank of Hawaii Classic
SMC survives a nailbiter of an opener, then musters a stout defense down the stretch in game 2. They’re now 4–2 and showing better chemistry on the court every game.
This past weekend Saint Mary's Women’s Basketball returned from Hawaii after a two-game sweep, improving the Gaels’ record to 4–2—and the team playing better on both sides of the ball. For the opener of the Bank of Hawaii Classic at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu on November 22, SMC fended off a late surge from Eastern Washington to hang on for a 59–57 victory. The Gaels followed that on November 24 with a 68–61 win over Louisiana Monroe.
An Eastern Washington nailbiter
For the opener, it was a team effort: Not a single Gael finished the game in double figures, but seven recorded five points or more. Maia Jones made her second start of the season and scored nine points for the Gaels. It was the bench production that helped seal the win: Ella Wedin and sophomore Jada Hunter each recorded nine points and helped outscore Eastern Washington's bench 32–19.
Saint Mary's was down early in the first quarter, but Jada Hunter splashed a three ball to cut the deficit in half. Edia Clarke also came off the bench and went on a solo 3–0 run; another clutch three ball from Mauriana Hashemian-Orr gave the Gaels a 13–12 lead.
The Gaels exploded for a 22-point third quarter and found themselves up double digits. Kennedy Johnson came out hot, with back-to-back buckets including a three pointer to give the Gaels a 31–25 lead. The next 11 points to end the third quarter were scored by five different players, with the Gaels showcasing some of their most balanced scoring of the season.
A 5–0 started the fourth and pushed the lead to 14 points, but the Eagles stormed back with a 16–2 run to tie the game with 1:20 to play. Jada Hunter converted a layup to put the Gaels back up two, and two key stops defensively forced Eastern Washington to foul with just seconds remaining. Maia Jones and Kennedy Johnson hit free throws to ice the game.
Hunter and Wedin led the bench scoring, with a career high nine points each. Hunter also finished a perfect 4–4 from the field, the second time this season she's shot 100% from the field. Three-point shooting hadn't been a strength for head coach Jeff Cammon and his squad early in the season, but against Eastern Washington the Gaels shot a season high 70% from three. Wedin was a perfect 3–3 from beyond the arc and leads the team with seven made three pointers on the season. Clarke and Orr also combined to shoot 4–5 from the field.
A stout defense holds back Louisiana Monroe
The Gaels’ matchup against the Louisiana Monroe was the first in SMC program history. It was a game that ended with a strong finish from Saint Mary’s, with the Warhawks held scoreless from the field over the final four minutes. It was also a game in which the Gaels found their rhythm from beyond the arc, finishing the afternoon 11–23 from three, for a new season high.
Three starters finished with double figures: Emily Foy, Maia Jones, and senior transfer Kennedy Johnson. Foy and Jones combined for nine three pointers and 27 points, while Jones was 7–12 from the field for a game high 19 points, including five three pointers. Overall Saint Mary's continued to find their stride offensively, finishing 46% from the field and 47% from three. The squad has shot over 40% from the field in all six games this season.
The Gaels held a four-point lead after the first quarter, but Louisiana Monroe converted back-to-back buckets to end the first half and make it a one-point game. The Warhawks matched the Gaels with 17 points in the third quarter to keep it a one-point game heading to the fourth. But the Gaels defense closed nicely, holding Monroe to just nine points—and keeping the Warhawks off the scoreboard entirely in the final four minutes—while the SMC offense racked up 15 for the 68–61 victory.
UP NEXT: The Gaels return to UCU Pavilion on Saturday, November 30 to take on UC Riverside. Tip off is a 2 p.m. View live stats and ticket links at smcgaels.com, and stream the game live on ESPN+.
