Women's Basketball Plays Spoiler in Win over WT

SAN ANTONIO – Shaking up the starting lineup helped the St. Mary's Women's Basketball team play the spoiler on Monday afternoon as they defeated first-place West Texas A&M 57-48 in the team's final conference game of the year.
 
The Rattlers (3-24, 2-14 Lone Star Conference) have been eliminated from post-season contention, but the WT (18-10, 11-3 Lone Star) loss drops them from first into a tie for second with two games left to play.
 
Senior forward Hannah Wilson (Fredericksburg, Texas) had a fantastic afternoon with a game-high 28 points and game-high 13 rebounds. She was 10-for-11 at the free throw line and added a steal and two blocked shots. Wilson was the only player to score in double figures for the Rattlers though junior Sydney Hardeman (Allen, Texas) narrowly missed the mark with nine points – and she was second on the team with five rebounds and led the game with three steals.
 
Freshman Ariana Rosado (Round Rock, Texas). sophomore Michaela Kucera (Schwäbisch Hall, Germany) and sophomore Bella Hughes (Argyle, Texas) all started the first games of their career.
 
The Buffs jumped out to an early 9-2 lead, but the Rattlers scored 10 of the next 12 to take a 12-11 lead on a Wilson and-one with 6:25 to play in the second quarter. The teams went back-and-forth the remainder of the period and entered halftime knotted at 25-25.
 
The Rattlers continued to push in the second half, outscoring the Buffs by five in the third period and four in the final stanza for the 57-48 win. An eight-point scoring run late in the third, in which Hardeman drained two of her three triples, gave StMU a lead they never relinquished.
 
St. Mary's closes out the 2021-22 season on Thursday, hosting St. Edward's at 5:30 in a non-conference tilt. The Rattlers will celebrate their seniors prior to tipoff. 
 
INDIVIDUAL PLAYER & TEAM NOTES

• The 28 points by Hannah Wilson is the 6th 20-plus point game for the senior this season and the 11th of her career. It is also her 45th career double-double.
• Sydney Hardeman now has 70 three-pointers this season, bringing her within seven of the St. Mary's single season record of 77 by Moesha Nash (2002-03). Hardeman currently ranks fourth, passing Nicole Brantley, who drained 69 in 2002-03.
• The lineup for the Rattlers was the eighth different starting five in 2021-22 for Head Coach Jason Martens.
• The win was the first ever over West Texas A&M. The school was 0-for-8 entering Monday dating back to the 2002 season when the series began.