SAN ANTONIO – The St. Mary's Women's Basketball team bounced back in a big way, winning by its largest margin of the year over Oklahoma Christian on Saturday afternoon, 79-47.
The Rattlers (4-7, 3-4 Lone Star Conference) won by 32 points and held the Eagles (3-8, 3-4 Lone Star) to their lowest shooting percentage of the season, just 23.2 percent for the game and 19.2 percent from the three-point line.
Freshman
Bella Hughes (Argyle, Texas) stole the show for the Rattlers, tying the school record for three-pointers in a single game with six and scoring a career-high 21 points, while junior
Jessica Barbosa (Bissai, Guinea Bissai) posted career-highs in both scoring and rebounding with seven points and 11 boards. Her 11 rebounds led the game, and she also led the way with four steals and two blocked shots – both of which tie her career-highs. Junior
Mya Culiver (Rockwall, Texas) was the only other player to score in double digits, as she scored a season-high 13, but all 11 Rattlers scored at least two points and had one rebound in the lopsided victory.
The Rattlers were red-hot from the arc, shooting 50 percent (11-for-22) only one game after failing to hit one for the first time in two seasons. The team also shot 40.9 percent for the game and had a stellar night at the free throw line, making 14-of-18 (77.8 percent).
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Rattlers didn't waste any time starting a new three-point streak as Culiver hit one to open the scoring in the game and posted the first five points for the Gold & Blue, giving the team the 5-1 edge. The Eagles scored the next eight points for the 9-5 lead with 3:06 in the first quarter, but Hughes hit her first triple and Torres followed with a traditional three-point play and then a three-pointer for the 14-9 lead at the end of the quarter.
After an Eagles jumper, Hughes drained another three for the 17-11 tally. OC responded with a layup, but the Rattlers used a mini four-point run to take their biggest lead of the half, eight points at 21-13 with 6:06 to play. The Eagles sank a pair of free throws, but Wilson answered with a bucket for the 23-15 score. After OC made a three-pointer, Hughes hit a jumper, the Eagles made two free throws and Hughes ended the half on another triple for the 28-20 tally. Hughes led all players with 11 points in the half, tying her career-high, while Barbosa led the game with seven rebounds.
The Eagles started the third quarter with a basket, but the Rattlers went on a 12-0 run to stretch their lead to 40-22 at the 6:32 mark. Hughes scored seven of those points, including a four-point play. The Eagles hit a pair of treys sandwiched around a Banks jumper for the 42-28 tally. Another run for the Rattlers, this one nine-straight put the team up 51-28 at the 3:41 point. After a pair of free throws by the Eagles, the Rattlers strung together six straight on a traditional three-point play by Barbosa and a trey by junior
Soteria Banks (Round Rock, Texas). The Eagles scored on a layup and the Rattlers closed the quarter with four straight free throws for the 61-32 edge.
The Rattlers scored the first six of the final stanza before OC went on a six-point run for the 67-38 score. The Gold & Blue continued to extend the lead, going on a 6-to-1 run to lead 73-39. The teams traded points for the remainder of the game for the 79-47 final.
INDIVIDUAL PLAYER & TEAM NOTES
- Freshman Bella Hughes tied the St. Mary's single-game school record for made three-pointers with six en route to a career-high 21 points. The freshman almost doubled her previous high of 11 from Nov. 23 at Texas-Tyler. Hughes knots five others who have made six triples in a game a total of seven times, including Soteria Banks earlier this season (Banks, Nicole Brantley (3 times), April Jordan, Dezirae Elias and Kaitlin Walla).
- For the first time all season, Soteria Banks did not score in double figures, however the junior did not play the entire fourth quarter of the contest due to the large lead by the Rattlers. Banks had nine points and six rebounds in 27 minutes of play.
- Jessica Barbosa tallied career-highs in both scoring and rebounding with seven points and 11 boards. She led all players with the 11 rebounds. The junior also tied her career-high with four steals and two blocked shots.
- After not hitting a three-pointer on Thursday, the Rattlers bounced back to shoot 50 percent from beyond the arc, hitting 11-of-22 for a season-best shooting percentage. It is the sixth time this year the team has made double digits in triples.
- The team also shot 77.8 percent from the free throw line (14-for-18), which is the best percentage of the season when attempting 15 or more in a game this year.
- St. Mary's held Oklahoma Christian to just 23.2 percent shooting in the game, the lowest opponent field goal percentage of the year. It is also the lowest the Eagles have shot all season.
- The +19 rebounding margin is the largest of the year for the Rattlers and the first time they've out-rebounded a team by double-digits this season.
UP NEXT
St. Mary's heads on the road for a pair of conference games traveling to Lawton, Okla., to face Cameron on Thursday, Jan. 9 at 5:30 p.m. before facing Midwestern State on Saturday at 2 p.m. in Wichita Falls, Texas. The Rattlers return home to host Texas A&M International on Thursday, Jan. 16 at 5:30 p.m. and Texas A&M Kingsville on Saturday, Jan. 18 at 2 p.m.
