SEATTLE - Seattle University women’s basketball (5-15, 1-8 WCC) held a lead over the visiting Saint Mary’s Gaels (13-9, 4-5 WCC) well into the second half but could not surmount the comeback late in the contest, falling 67-53 inside the Redhawk Center on Saturday afternoon.
Graduate Ella Brubaker guided the team with her new Division I career high, scoring 26 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the field, a new career best in FGM. Brubaker matched her career high three triples on five attempts. She finished five-of-six from the free throw line, while bringing in three rebounds and three steals.
Redshirt senior Tamia Stricklin scored 11 points, connecting for five field goals, including one triple. Stricklin finished the afternoon with five rebounds, including two offensive boards, while also picking up a steal.
Freshman Jana Vesic scored 10 points, connecting twice from behind the arc, while matching Brubaker with three steals. She handed out two assists on the day.
Sophomore Sydnie Rodriguez paced the rebounding effort, grabbing six, including two offensive boards. Graduate Andjela Bigovic and freshman Chloe Emanga each matched Vesic with two assists.
The Redhawks combined for 21 field goals, posting six triples. The WCC’s leading free throw percentage team shot 83.3 percent from the charity stripe. SU finished the day with 28 rebounds, eight steals and two blocks. The Redhawks paced the Gaels with 12 offensive boards to their eight and forced 14 Saint Mary’s turnovers.
Vesic led the Redhawks through the opening ten minutes scoring four points. Stricklin matched the freshman guard, combining for two makes on four attempts. Brubaker and Vesic combined for four steals as the Redhawks took the 12-9 lead after the first after holding the Gaels scoreless for the final 6:27 of the first quarter.
Brubaker led the scoring through the second quarter, connecting for two makes, including a triple. Stricklin also connected from behind the arc as the Redhawks shot 40 percent from three before the break. The Redhawks led 22-17 into the break.
Brubaker scored 11 points coming out of halftime, built by 5-of-6 shooting from the free throw line. She went perfect, 3-for-3 from the floor. Stricklin aided with four points on 50 percent shooting in the third quarter. The Redhawks led by as many as six with a 1:40 remaining in the third before the Gaels closed the quarter on a 7-0 run to claim their first lead of the day.
Saint Mary’s carried its momentum into the fourth quarter, not missing a shot through the opening five minutes. Seattle U made it a five point game with 2:15 remaining but the Gaels disrupted the comeback, scoring the final nine points of the contest. Brubaker scored eight to capture her DI career high, finishing the game shooting 75 percent from the field in the fourth quarter. She went two-for-three from behind the arc, matching Vesic in three point shooting through the closing ten minutes.
Seattle U returns to action next week, traveling to Southern California for meetings with Pepperdine and LMU. The Redhawks return home the first weekend of February to host San Francisco.
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