COMMERCE, Texas – Playing two of the top three teams in the conference preseason poll is no easy way to start a season and the St. Mary's Women's Basketball team is learning a lot about what needs to be done to reach elite status in the 15-team Lone Star Conference.
On Saturday afternoon, Texas A&M-Commerce (3-0, 3-0 Lone Star) used a 22-3 run to open the second half and the Rattlers (0-3, 0-3 Lone Star) were unable to pull off the comeback, falling 69-46.
Seniors
Mya Culiver (Rockwall, Texas) and
Hannah Wilson (Fredericksburg, Texas) each scored 10 points, while sophomore transfer
Natalia Ryng (Gdynia, Poland) tied for game-high honors with eight rebounds. Freshman
Maya Simon (Corpus Christi, Texas) was second on the team and posted a career-best seven boards.
The clubs were tied at 11-11 after the first quarter, but the Lions gained a seven-point advantage, 31-24 by the end of the first half. A lopsided third quarter, 22-7, put Commerce up 53-31 but the Rattlers never quit and were outscored by only one, 16-15 in the fourth for the 69-46 final.
All eight players who saw action for the Rattlers scored at least one basket and the seven who played 20 or minutes all had at least one rebound. Senior
Audrey Wandji (Houston), playing in her first game of the year, had the team's only steal of the game and had one of the team's two blocked shots.
The two teams take to the court again on Sunday at 2 p.m. at Texas A&M-Commerce.
INDIVIDUAL PLAYER & TEAM NOTES
- Sophomore Briley Perkins (Houston) has increased her scoring output by one point in each of the first three games this season scoring five and six, respectively at Lubbock Christian and adding seven on Saturday against the Lions.
- Senior Hannah Wilson has scored in double figures in each game this year. She is averaging just shy of a double-double with 11.7 points and 9.0 rebounds per game.
- Freshman Maya Simon (Corpus Christi) recorded a career-high in both points and rebounds with four and seven, respectively.
- Freshman Juliett Martinez (San Antonio) has made one three-pointer in each of the first three games of the year and is a perfect 3-for-3 from the field in her 12 minutes of action.
- St. Mary's has made five three-pointers in each game of 2020-21. The Rattlers have made five or more in six consecutive games and three or more in 21 straight.
