A career best and the spark for the win: Zeryhia Aokuso / Tod Fierner for SMC Athletics
In Women’s Basketball, Gaels Finish off USD for First West Coast Conference Win
Zeryhia Aokuso sparks a dominant quarter, sinking an array of pull-up and turnaround jumpers and scoring a career-high 19 points.
Saint Mary's Women's Basketball finished strong against the University of San Diego on Saturday night, closing out a 67–59 victory over the Toreros to move to 1–1 in West Coast Conference play.
The Gaels were 12 of 22 (54.5%) from the floor in the second half while holding USD to just 26.9% shooting, all while out rebounding the Toreros 22–14 over the final two quarters.
It was San Diego who started the game shooting 54.5% in the first quarter, and they led 15–13 after the opening period. Things began to even out in the second quarter, but USD was up 31–27 at halftime.
Gaels Catch Fire
Early in the third, however, Zeryhia Aokuso sparked a dominant quarter for SMC. Her array of pull-up and turnaround jumpers couldn't be stopped, and her drives to the lane led to points in one way or another, as she went 9 of 10 from the free-throw line in the game.
Aokuso tied the game in the third quarter, and Tayla Dalton put the Gaels ahead for good with a bucket in the paint with 3:22 to go in the third at 41–40. An Ali Bamberger layup put Saint Mary's up 50–43 to end the third.
A Leia Hanafin pull-up jumper gave SMC their first double-digit lead of the night at 57–45 with 5:41 left to play. But USD wouldn't go quietly, cutting the Gaels lead to six at 62–56 with just over a minute to go.
It was a seven-point game with just over 30 seconds left to play, but Hanafin forced a turnover and hit one of two free throws to put it back to eight at 66–58. The Saint Mary's defense forced San Diego to miss their next two three-point attempts and Bamberger hit another free throw to seal the win for SMC.
Inside the numbers
Aokuso led all scorers with a career-high 19 points on 5 of 9 shooting, along with her 90% at the free-throw line. Bamberger finished with 16 points and was 2 of 3 from downtown.
Addison Wedin also scored in double figures with 10 points and grabbed five boards, while Hannah Rapp led the team in rebounds with six.
The Gaels were 7 of 15 from three-point range on the night, with five different players hitting a three. SMC dominated the second chance points 19 to 9 and in bench scoring with a 29 to 5 advantage.
UP NEXT: Saint Mary's hosts LMU on Saturday, January 13 at 5 p.m. in UCU Pavilion.
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