SU center Tatiana Heck (Mountlake Terrace, Wash.) had a standout game for the Redhawks, scoring 15 points and leading the team with five boards. She battled all night long against reigning WCC Player of the Month Louella Tomlinson. The SMC 6-4 forward was unable to get in a rhythm for in the first half, as she was held to only seven points and three rebounds.
In the first half, with Heck in the driver's seat of the offense, SU was working as a cohesive unit. They managed to gain the lead at several different points in the half and continually chipped away at any Saint Mary's lead. In the first 20, the lead changed at six different points and was tied twice. Both Heck and Ashley Brown (Kirkland, Wash.) each had 11 points, and Brown had two defensive boards.
After going into halftime with down 32-31, after Samantha Messersmith (Harold, Calif.) knocked in a 3-point jumper with nine seconds remaining, SU looked to have enough momentum to carry them through the final half.
Saint Mary's opened up the second half with Jontelle Smith missing a wide open layup. The visitors were able to recover the ball and Tomlinson was eventually able to knock in a jumper from the lane that ignited an 11-0 run by the Gaels. Sophomore Maggie McCarthy (Burlingame, Calif.) brought SMC's lead down to nine after converting both her baskets from the charity stripe, but after nearly two-and-a-half minutes of missed opportunities Saint Mary's extended their lead into double-digits again.
SMC created an 11 point cushion at 14:08 in the final half, which proved to be the difference maker. SU continually cut it down, getting within one point twice with less than four minutes remaining in the game, but they were unable to ever gain the lead.
It was a hard fought effort by the Redhawks, who showed once again their continual holistic improvement. The silver lining is there for first season head coach Joan Bonvicini's squad. They kept their nose to the grindstone for the full 40 minutes and saw contributions up and down the lineup.
McCarthy tallied 10 points and four boards, and senior Cassidy Murillo (Yakima, Wash.) had five points and five assists. Returning the court after missing the first leg of the season was sophomore Elle Kerfoot (Surrey, B.C.). The Canadian played 27 minutes in her second-season debut and had four points, three steals, a defensive rebound and an assist.
The Redhawks look to bounce back tomorrow versus Evergreen State. The Geoducks head to Seattle for a 4:30 p.m. contest on Tuesday, Dec. 15, in the Connolly Center.