Slow Start Hampers Women's Hoops

SAN ANTONIO – A slow start for the St. Mary's Women's Basketball contributed to the 70-55 loss to Tarleton State on Saturday afternoon.

The Rattlers (9-10, 8-7 Lone Star Conference) scored the same amount of points as the Texans (15-5, 9-5 Lone Star) in the second and fourth quarters, but a 7-0 start to the game lifted TSU to the win.

Junior guard Soteria Banks (Round Rock, Texas) led all players with 19 points and she was second on the team with seven rebounds. Banks also tied for game-high honors with four assists and three steals. Fellow junior Hannah Wilson (Fredericksburg, Texas) also scored in double figures with 15 points and she grabbed a game-high eight boards. She also blocked two shots. Senior guard Alexia Torres (San Antonio) tied for game-high honors with four assists and she blocked the eighth shot of her career. Freshman Briley Perkins (Houston, Texas) also amassed three swipes in the game for a new career-high.

St. Mary's shot only 37.3 percent from the field for the game and 25 percent from the three-point line. The team did hit 76.5 percent of its free throws, making 13-of-17. Tarleton State shot 52.1 percent for the contest, the second-highest percentage for a Rattlers opponent this season, but managed just 30.8 percent from beyond the arc and 72.7 from the free throw line (16-of-22).

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Texans scored the first seven points of the game before Banks hit a three-pointer. On the next possession she made a free throw for the 7-4 score. A traditional three-point play for TSU put them back up six, however Wilson scored the next five to make it a one-point tally, 10-9. The teams traded jumpers and the Texans drained a three for the 15-11 score. The teams again traded baskets and the Texans scored the final six of the quarter for a 10-point lead, 23-13.

Wilson made a free throw for the first point of the second quarter and after a basket by the Texans, Banks hit a three for the 25-17 score with 6:37 remaining. The teams traded buckets. After a TSU basket, Hughes made three straight free throws for the 29-22 score. The Texans responded with a three pointer and Banks drained a pair at the charity stripe.  After two free throws by TSU, the teams exchanged baskets twice for the 10-point halftime spread, 38-28.

After an opening bucket for the Texans in the third quarter, the Rattlers scored five straight for the 40-33 tally. TSU scored nine straight – its longest scoring streak of the game – to push the advantage out to 16, 49-33 with 5:20 left. Banks snapped the streak with a pair of free throws and after trading baskets, the Texans scored on a traditional three-point play to bring the score to 54-37. The Rattlers scored five of the next six to make it 55-42, but TSU sank the final basket for the 57-42 score at the end of the third.

The Texans scored the first six of the final stanza before a Sydney Hardman (Allen, Texas) stopped the run. TSU tallied three in a row and Hardeman nailed another shot for the 66-46 score at 4:40. After one free throw by TSU, the Rattlers used their longest streak of the game – scoring seven straight for the 67-53 score.  The Texans scored three and Banks made the final basket of the contest for the 70-55 final.

TEAM & INDIVDUAL PLAYER NOTES

• St. Mary's recorded seven steals in the second half for a total of 10 in the contest. It is the sixth time this season the Rattlers have recorded double figures in thefts.
• Five of Hannah Wilson's rebounds were on the offensive end of the floor. The junior ended the game with eight boards.
• The four three-pointers by the Rattlers are the second-lowest output of the season and the 25 percent from beyond the arc is also the second-lowest.
• Today marks the third-straight contest with equal or more rebounds than the opponent and the 10^th time in the last 11 games. The Rattlers now have a +4.2 rebounding margin in 2019-20.
• Soteria Banks scored in double figures for the fourth-straight game and the 16^th time in 19 games this year.
• For the 14^th time this year, senior Alexia Torres had four or more assists. She has tallied four or more in 10 of the last 11 contests.
• Christina Baker made the first three pointer of the year – on her very first attempt. Nine of the 12 players on the team now have at least one triple on the year.

UP NEXT
St. Mary's takes to the road for a pair of rematches. The team plays at Texas A&M Kingsville on Thursday and Texas A&M International on Saturday. In the first meeting, the Rattlers defeated the Javelinas 64-62 and the Dust Devils 65-56.