Box Score
WICHITA, Kan. — Women's Basketball had a smooth takeoff and ended with a bumpy ride to victory over the Newman Jets Saturday, proving clutch in the final minutes to win it 77-70 for its sixth straight victory.
A three-pointer from Deziare Elias (So., Chandler, Ariz.) 20 seconds into the game gave the Rattlers the lead they wouldn't lose until the second half, as they went into the break with a stout edge over the Jets, 37-24.
Elias was one of four starters who broke double-digits in the Heartland Conference matchup, ending the day with 16 points after going 3-3 from beyond the arc.
Jackie Woods (Sr., San Antonio) led the day in scoring with 22 points followed by
Morgan Pullins (Jr., Franklin, Mich.) with 17 points and
Lia Kioa (Sr., Phoenix) with 14.
Kioa was the spark in the first frame, scoring 12 points with two 3's. It seemed it would be a quick trip to victory for the Rattlers as they pushed their lead to 17 five minutes into the second half, but the Jets (4-6, 2-3 in conference) came firing back to more than double their scoring from the first frame.
Newman was able to collapse the deficit by the 11-minute mark to bring it within five, 48-43, which would change the once lopsided game into a nail-bitter. The Jets were able to capture a lead for the first time in the game with five minutes remaining, 58-57, but the Rattlers' clutch free-throw shooting down the stretch ended it with St. Mary's on top by seven.
The Rattlers went 8-9 from the line in the final 40 seconds of the game with Woods going 8-10 in the second half alone. Woods and Elias helped the Rattlers clinch the victory as the pair scored 15 and 13 points in the final frame, respectively.
Elias led in assists with five as well as steals with four while Pullins led on the boards with six.
The Rattlers improved to an impressive 8-1 on the season and 3-0 in league play with the victory over the Jets in Fugate Gymnasium.
St. Mary's will take a week-long break before returning to action against UA Fort Smith at 5:00 p.m. Thursday on Dec. 19 at Bill Greehey Arena.
St. Mary's University, as a Catholic Marianist University, fosters the formation of people in faith and educates leaders for the common good through community service, integrated liberal arts and professional education, and academic excellence. The University has six athletic national titles: men's basketball (1989–NAIA), baseball (2001–NCAA Div. II), softball (1986–NAIA and 2002–NCAA Div. II) and an individual national champion in men's golf (2006–NCAA Div. II) and a national academic championship in men's golf (2009–NCAA Div. II). St. Mary's also had more than 40 percent of its athletes named to conference, regional and/or national honor rolls this past year. St. Mary's student–athletes graduation rate is 65 percent, higher than the NCAA Division II average of 55 percent. To learn more about St. Mary's, visit www.rattlerathletics.com.
