Gaels Win Women's Basketball Invitational Title
The Saint Mary's Women's Basketball Program claimed its first ever Women's Basketball Invitational championship on Sunday, defeating defending champion Cleveland State 80-73 in Lexington, Ky. to cap an 18-15 season.
ANOTHER STRONG SECOND QUARTER
The Gaels didn't need a big comeback in the second quarter on Sunday, but they had another tide-turning second against the Vikings. SMC went into the quarter up 21-17 and Taycee Wedin hit two 3-pointers to put Gaels up by 10 just a minute into the period.
Cleveland State hung around and kept the game at single digits until an Ali Bamberger basket with 4:33 to go in the half to put Saint Mary's back up by 10. That was followed by a pair of Bamberger free throws and a Wedin three to put SMC up by 15 with under three minutes to go in the second quarter.
Saint Mary's led 42-29 at the break and shot 55 percent from the field in the first half. The Gaels hit 6 of 15 from downtown, while holding Cleveland State to just 29% shooting and 2 of 17 on 3-pointers.
A BATTLE TO THE FINISH
The Gaels got their lead up to 17 with three minutes to go in the third quarter when Taycee Wedin hit a three pointer for a 59-42 advantage. Saint Mary's went into the fourth up by 11, but the defending WBI champs would not go down without a fight.
SMC got its lead up to 15 again after a pair of Bamberger free throws with just under nine minutes to go, and her layup made it an 11-point lead again with 4:20 remaining. But the Vikings scored seven unanswered points to cut the lead to 72-68 with 2:16 left when the Gaels called a time out.
Out of the time out, Wedin hit a 3-pointer for a new career-high of seven 3s in a game to put the Gaels back up by seven. The Vikings would draw two straight fouls to hit three free throws, then stole the ball with their full-court press and scored to make it a 75-73 game with 1:15 left to play.
The Gaels called another time out, but had another turnover against the press. They made a critical defensive stop however, and Tayla Dalton grabbed the rebound and got fouled.
This time SMC broke the press with ease, with Madeline Holland getting the ball to Wedin, who got it to Dalton. Holland got the ball back from Dalton and she drove inside, head faked the defender and hit a jumper for another clutch basket in a career full of them, as she again came through late when the Gaels needed her most.
Saint Mary's again made a big stop, making both of Cleveland State's three-point attempts on the next possession difficult with their contesting of the Vikings shots, before Wedin grabbed the rebound. She'd make a pair of free throws for a 79-73 lead with eight seconds left and the Gaels would make the stop again with Holland grabbing the board. She hit 1 of 2 at the line to put Saint Mary's up 80-73 with just four seconds left and clinch the program's first ever WBI Championship.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
Taycee Wedin scored 25 points for her 11th game of 20 or more this season, was 7 of 15 on 3-pointers, and was named tournament MVP, as she averaged 22.7 points per game in the three games and shot an amazing 60% from long distance.
Holland finished with 15 points, five rebounds, and a game-high five assists in her final collegiate game. She scored in double digits in every game at the WBI, with a 10-and-10 double-double in the semifinal. Her 42 points over the three games gives her 1,517 in her career, good for ninth all-time in program history, surpassing Jerkisha Dotsy's 1498 (1998-02). Holland increased her program record in games played to 148, which is 13 more than previous leader, Kate Gaze (2009-14).
Bamberger had 21 points and 10 rebounds with three assists for her 10th double-double of the year. Leia Hanafin tied Holland for the game-high in assists with five.
The Gaels shot 50% for the game and 39% from deep along with 83% from the free throw line.