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Scoreboard

Banks_Soteria_20181218WB_vs_Cameron_55
Antonio Morano Photography
57
Tex. A&M-Kingsville TAMUK 4-8
71
Winner St. Mary's STMU 10-2
Tex. A&M-Kingsville TAMUK
4-8
57
Final
71
St. Mary's STMU
10-2
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Tex. A&M-Kingsville TAMUK 20 14 11 12 57
St. Mary's STMU 15 18 21 17 71

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | | RattlerAthletics.com

And one makes 10 non-conference wins for Women's Hoops

By Heather Kennedy | St. Mary's Athletics Communications

SAN ANTONIO – Sparked by nine straight points in the third quarter by sophomore Soteria Banks, the 24th-ranked St. Mary's women's basketball team defeated Texas A&M Kingsville for the second time this season, winning on Wednesday night 71-57.

The Javelinas (3-8) managed just three free throws during Banks (Round Rock, Texas) run and enabled the Rattlers (10-2) to build a seven-point lead. Senior Kaitlin Walla (Georgetown, Texas) and Banks then combined for 12 points over the next 3:08 after the Javelinas cut the lead to five, with Walla scoring nine of her own to extend the lead to 14 with 8:53 remaining in the fourth quarter. Again, Kingsville scored just three free throws during that time.

Banks ended the game with a game-high tying 18 points, while Walla was right behind her with 17. It is the sixth time this season Banks has scored in double figures, while it is the 10th time Walla has. Each hit three three-pointers on the evening and had three assists. Senior forward Crystal Thomas (San Antonio) also chipped in 10 points, marking the second-straight game she's notched double figures. Thomas also had a career- and game-high five assists. Sophomore Hannah Wilson (Fredericksburg, Texas) led all players with 14 rebounds and narrowly missed out on a double-double, scoring nine points. It is the eighth time this year she's tallied double figures in rebounds and she's had at least five boards in every game this season.

"I'm proud of our girls," said Head Coach Jason Martens. "We knew we were going to come out a little rusty after being off for two and a half weeks and we did, but props to Kingsville. They came out and played hard and did a great job of defending us in the first half. In the second half, we stepped up and did a better job."

Kingsville was led by Cloe Lane with 18 points, nine rebounds and a blocked shot, while Bri-Anna Soliz and Rachel Tapps both had two steals. Soliz also had eight rebounds, with seven coming on the offensive end of the floor.

St. Mary's shot 43.3 percent for the game (26-for-60) and 42.9 percent from the three-point line (9-for-21). They also shot just 62.5 percent from the free throw line (10-for-16), but won the battle of the boards, out-rebounding the Javelinas 45-to-39. Kingsville shot 33.9 percent from the floor (20-for-59) and just 27.3 from the arc (3-for-11). They also struggled from the free throw line, shooting just 51.9 percent (14-for-27), but shot better in the second half (.611/11-for-18) than they did in the first half (.333/3-for-9).

Kingsville actually led at the end of the first quarter, 20-15, after five ties and three lead changes. Walla kicked off the game's scoring with a triple, but Wilson led all scorers with six in the quarter. She also led the way with four rebounds.

The Javelinas took their biggest lead of the game with a jumper to open the scoring in the second quarter and then matched it two other times in the quarter, but a 12-0 run by the Rattlers quickly erased their lead and gave the Blue & Gold a five-point lead, 30-25 with 5:43 led in the half. Kingsville scored six straight for the seventh tie and a one-point lead, but freshman Meredith Marcum (Corpus Christi, Texas) made her lone triple of the game for the 33-31 score. Kingsville scored the final three of the half for the 34-33 tally at the break. Junior Alexia Torres (San Antonio) paced the Rattlers with five points in the quarter, making both of her shots and her free throw attempt.

The Rattlers outscored the Javelinas 21-11 in the third quarter to build a nine-point lead. Banks had 12 of the team's points, while Walla scored six and Wilson had four rebounds. In the fourth quarter, both Thomas and Walla had five points, while Wilson and sophomore Audrey Wandji (Houston, Texas) each grabbed four boards.

St. Mary's turns its attention to Heartland Conference action, opening play at St. Edward's on January 10 at 5:30 p.m. The conference home opener will be on Jan. 12 against Lubbock Christian at 1 p.m.

"We knew we had a tough non-conference schedule and to finish it 10-2 is exciting," Martens said in his post-game radio interview with Andrew Stossmeister. "I'm excited about the conference schedule. St. Edward's is always good and Lubbock Christian was picked to win the conference so we have two tough ones right off the top of it."
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