LACEY, Wash. – The 13th-ranked Central Washington University Women's Basketball Team fended off a late rally to earn a weekend road split, taking down the Saint Martin's Saints Saturday afternoon.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
 

• Final: Central Washington (55), Saint Martin's (49)
• Records: CWU (23-4, 14-3 GNAC), SMU (16-9, 12-4 GNAC)
• Location: Marcus Pavilion (Lacey, Wash.)

 
QUOTING CWU HEAD WOMEN'S BASKETBALL COACH RANDI RICHARDSON:
 
"I am so incredibly proud of our team's response tonight after facing some adversity. It says a lot about this team's character. Our team executed our game plan really well in the first half. SMU made a great run, and our team faced some adversity. Again, our response was exactly what it needed to be. We had big contributions tonight all around and we made composed big plays down the stretch to pull this one out. I'm happy for this team."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
 

• Fiona Snashall began the game drilling a big three with the Saints responding a minute and a half later to make it 3-2 CWU with 7:23 left in the first.
• Snashall made a layup, however a three by Kiana Rios sparked a quick 7-0 run to give SMU the 9-5 lead with 2:32 left in the first.
• Back-to-back layups by Aliyah Finch and Kayla Thornton tied things up, but Laiken Hill earned a layup to give the Saints the 11-9 lead after the first 10 minutes.
• Capri Sims opened the second quarter with a layup to tie things up once more proving to be the start of a 9-0 run to begin the second quarter with the 'Cats leading 18-11 with 5:54 left in the second. 
• Kasey Booster drilled the only points for the Saints in the second quarter at the 4:04 mark with a three, however the 'Cats held Saint Martin's scoreless the final 4:04 of the second while seeing back-to-back three's by Thornton and Asher Cai and a jumper from Cai to send the teams to the halftime break with CWU on top 26-14.
• Rios began the third quarter with a quick layup for SMU only to see Cai respond with a jumper a little over a minute later.
• The two squads went back-and-forth for the next few minutes as CWU held onto a 12-point lead, 34-22 with 3:48 left in the third.
• Avery Oaster hit a jumper to spark a 10-2 run to end the third quarter with CWU holding on by a 36-32 margin.
• An and-one by Cai started the fourth quarter and sparked a quick 8-2 run by the 'Cats to pull back out to a double-digit lead, 44-34 with 7:42 left.
• A layup by Oaster was the beginning of a 12-0 run by the Saints who took the 46-44 lead with 3:32 left.
• The teams exchanged a bucket and a free-throw, but a layup by Cai followed by a pair of free-throws by Snashall gave the 'Cats the lead back, 51-49 with 1:18 left.
• Clutch free-throws by Thornton and Sims helped seal the 55-49 victory for the 'Cats.

 
STATS FROM THE GAME:
 

• Cai led the game with 23 points while adding nine rebounds, six assists, and two steals.
• Thornton and Sims added eight points each with Thornton adding six rebounds, an assist, and two steals and Sims contributing seven rebounds, two assists, and a block.
• Snashall and Annalee Coronado both finished with seven points with Snashall adding 11 rebounds, one assists, one block, and one steal while Coronado added two rebounds and three assists.
• Finch finished with two points, four rebounds, one assist, and one block.
• Rylee Leishman had one rebound and one steal while Mackenzie Schulz had one rebound.
• The 'Cats finished the game shooting 46.5 percent from the floor, 38.5 percent from three, and 50 percent from the free-throw line.
• Saint Martin's was led by Rios with 14 points, five rebounds, and two steals while Jada Travis added 12 points, six rebounds, six assists, and three steals and Oaster finished with a double-double of 10 points, 10 rebounds, one assist, two blocks, and two steals.
• SMU shot 30.2 percent from the floor, 25 percent from three, and 62.5 percent from the free-throw line. 
• The crimson and black won the rebound battle 41-32.

 
SERIES HISTORY:
 

• CWU leads the all-time series 44-36.
• The 'Cats are 20-21 in Lacey.
• The crimson and black hold the 8-2 advantage in the last 10 games.

 
UP NEXT:
 

• The Wildcats will conclude the regular season at home next Saturday, February 28 when they host the Northwest Nazarene Nighthawks at 1:00 p.m. in Nicholson Arena.
• It's the 'Cats Senior Day where they will honor three seniors pregame: Asher Cai, Aliyah Finch, and Lylah Spring.