WASHINGTON – The Gallaudet University women's basketball team came ready to play Saturday against St. Mary's College of Maryland in a critical United East conference game.
Gallaudet stormed out to an early commanding lead and later went back-and-forth with the sharp-shooting Seahawks as the Bison finished with a season-high 87 points in a five-point win, 87-82, over SMC on Padden Court in the Field House.
The Bison blitzed the Seahawks with 14 straight points in the opening four minutes of play as GU scored on 7 of 10 shots from the field. On the other end of the court, the Seahawks missed their first seven shots and turned the ball over four times to the stampeding Bison.
When the dust settled GU led 20-7 after the first 10 minutes of play.
The Seahawks finally found their shot in the second quarter as they made six 3-pointers and outscored the Bison, 30-19, as GU clung to a 39-37 lead at intermission.
First-year forward/guard
Cam Lexow led all-scorers with 15 first-half points as she made 7 of 11 shots from the floor, including eight points in the first quarter.
Gallaudet (10-6, 3-1 United East) had its best shooting quarter in the third as the buff and blue made 9 of 13 shots (69.2 percent). The Bison received key baskets from senior forward
Cassidy Perry (Frederick, Md.), senior guard
Rajena Guettler (Frederick, Md.) and junior guard
Claire Ruiz-Tucker (Frederick, Md.).
St. Mary's (10-6, 3-1 United East) cooled down from the outside but was still creating opportunities down low in the paint. In the second half, St. Mary's scored 26 of its 45 points in the post.
The two teams stayed within three or less points of each other for the majority of the fourth quarter after the Seahawks led by six late in the third. GU's largest lead was 16 early in the second quarter.
Lexow came through with a key 3-pointer at the 3:20 mark in the fourth quarter to break up a 74-74 tie. That was Lexow's second 3-pointer of the game. Lexow added two more baskets before the Bison put the game away at the free-throw line.
Lexow finished with a career-high 26 points and seven steals to go with six rebounds and three assists. The 12 field goals made and two 3-pointers are season-high marks.
Perry was second on the team with 22 points and 13 rebounds (11 defensive) and added three steals, two blocks and one assist in 35 minutes played. Guettler finished with a season-high 19 points and seven assists to go with five rebounds and two steals. Ruiz-Tucker was the fourth Bison in double figures with 16 points, eight assists, seven boards and three steals.
St. Mary's had three players in double figures led by sophomore Samantha Blaylock (six assists) and senior Amira Whitaker (seven rebounds) as the pair scored 19 points each. Blaylock made 4 of 10 shots from 3-point range. First-year guard Olivia Liszt added 13 points and seven boards in the loss.
BISON TRACKS
- The Bison set a season-high at the free throw line with 86.4 percent made (19-for-22)
- Gallaudet scored 48 points in the paint
- GU netted 20 fast-break points
- Gallaudet remains perfect in the month of January (4-0)
- The Bison scored the most points against SMC since 1999 when GU netted 88 points (a span of 33 games)
- GU and St. Mary's have split the last six meetings
UP NEXT
GU remains at home this coming Tuesday, Jan. 16, as the Bison host Penn St.-Berks (1-13, 0-5 United East) in a 7 p.m. conference game.
