By GUY PERRIN Staff Writer
Women’s basketball played just one game this past week, suffering another defeat as they fell 48-47 to Saint Martin’s University on Saturday, Jan. 31 in Lacey, Wash.
The Wolves (5-13, 2-8 GNAC) rebounded well, outrebounding SMU 39-32, and dictated the tempo of the game but weren’t able to make enough shots, only 31 percent shooting, to pull away from the Saints (7-11. 4-6 GNAC).
Forward Dana Goularte was the only player to finish with double digits for the Wolves, scoring 10 points and adding seven rebounds as well as seven steals.
After a back and forth first half, Western used a series of runs in the second half and found itself leading 44-40 with just over four minutes to play. Saint Martin’s, however, would hold the Wolves to just three points the rest of the way securing the narrow, one-point victory.
“The last two games have been heartbreaking,” said head coach Holli Howard-Carpenter. “Against Billings, we fought back from a 10-point deficit, and against St. Martin’s, we were ahead at the last media timeout but just couldn’t finish in either game.
“We need to be more confident and mentally tough in those situations. We need to trust in our preparation and just focus on the little things rather than the outcome. Our focus this week and the remainder of the season is to just take one practice, one game at a time. We need to be persistent in our effort and intensity in practice and play in the moment during games. Our goals are still in reach and we will continue to fight for them,” Howard-Carpenter said.
Saint Martin’s guard Krista Stabler led all scorers with 11 points on 4-7 shooting. The Wolves traveled further north this week as they took on Alaska-Fairbanks Thursday, Feb. 5 and will meet Alaska-Anchorage Saturday, Feb. 7.
“We definitely want to get a win in Alaska,” Goularte said. “It’s always hard traveling there, so our mindset is to stay focused on our goals and do the little things.”
