Malia Pinder, Staff Writer
November at Saint Martin’s marks the start of a new basketball season at the Marcus Pavilion for the Saints, and the community could not be more excited to watch in-person this 2021 season. Claire Dingus, named an Honorable Mention All-American for the first time in program history in 2020, leads the team into the new season. After tough exhibition games at Washington State University, the University of Oregon, and the University of California Berkeley, the women’s team was more than ready to take on Hawaii Pacific on Saturday, November 13, for Indigenous Peoples Appreciation Night. Hawaii Pacific was ranked 25 in the country to open their 2021 season. Lauryn Morris led the Saints to a nine-point win with 13 points scored. The win was a significant upset, as Saint Martin’s was ranked 6 in the Pre-Season Coaches Poll for the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. It leaves basketball fans excited about what’s to come for the Saint Martin’s women’s basketball team this season.
Taking to the stands, we were able to watch this newly refined basketball team take the court against Pacific Lutheran University for a little South Sound match-up. Many students and community members alike found themselves at Marcus Pavilion for the second home game of the season, and the gym only gained more Saints Basketball fans the later it got, adding to the energy levels. Before the game, each player honored a professor or staff member of their choice for staff appreciation night. To further appreciate members of the Saint Martin’s community, international athletes were also honored during halftime.
Neither team established dominance right away. By the end of the first quarter, the Saint’s defense had allowed the Pacific Lutheran Lutes to score 19 points, the offense only scoring 16 points in return. They were only able to score seven more points before the half, leaving them 23-24 at halftime with a one-point deficit. The entire first half was back and forth, with crucial shots missed by both teams. Halftime must have given the Saints the jumpstart they needed because they dominated Pacific Lutheran in the second half. They came out strong and in the third quarter alone, the Saints scored 29 points with only six points given up. They followed it up with 12 more in the fourth quarter to seal the deal. The final score was 64-41, Saint Martin’s. Claire Dingus, Lauryn Morris and Maryn Budiman led the Saints with six rebounds apiece and Dingus led in assists with six. Rian Clear contributed a game-high 18 points to the win for the Saints, while Dingus scored 14 and Tierney DeDonatis had 10. The success was a team effort all around and advanced them to a 2-0 record on the season.
The next time this team takes the court is Friday, November 19 against Sonoma State at the Western Oregon University Tournament in Monmouth, Ore. The Saints then head to Texas for a couple of non-conference games before coming home to Marcus Pavilion to take on Alaska Anchorage on Dec. 2 and Alaska on Dec. 4 to open their GNAC competition season. Both Alaska teams will be competitive games, so be sure to go support the Saints as they fight for the GNAC title this season.
The Belltower 