MORAGA, Calif. (Interstat) — In a grinding, defensive struggle where points were at a premium, the Pacific Tigers executed a final, decisive stand to edge the Saint Mary’s Gaels 56-53 in a West Coast Conference women’s basketball game Thursday night at McKeon Pavilion.

The victory avenged a five-point loss to the Gaels just over a month prior and snapped a two-game skid for Pacific, which improved to 10-14 overall. Saint Mary’s, which had won two of its last three, fell to 14-12.

The most critical sequence unfolded in the game’s chaotic final ten seconds. With Pacific clinging to a 54-53 lead after Saint Mary’s Malia Latu converted a layup with 33 seconds remaining, the Tigers worked the clock down. A missed three-pointer by Sydney Ward led to a held ball, with the possession arrow favoring Pacific with 10.1 seconds left.

Out of a full timeout, Pacific’s primary ball-handler, Daria Nestorov, was immediately fouled by Mauriana Hashemian-Orr with 6.6 seconds on the clock. The sophomore guard from Serbia, who led all scorers with 17 points, calmly sank both free throws to extend the lead to three.

Saint Mary’s, without a timeout to advance the ball, rushed upcourt. After a series of frantic substitutions, the Gaels’ final attempt to force overtime came from Abigail Shoff, whose contested three-point shot from the wing missed as time expired. Sophia Mindermann secured the defensive rebound for Pacific to seal the outcome.

The entire contest was defined by tenacious defense and offensive inefficiency. Neither team shot better than 37.5% from the field. Pacific’s slight advantage from beyond the arc—making 7 of 27 attempts compared to Saint Mary’s 2-of-15 performance—proved a significant differential in the low-scoring affair.

Pacific established control early with a disruptive defensive effort, forcing six first-quarter turnovers and holding Saint Mary’s to just eight points in the period. The Tigers led 12-8 after one and extended their advantage to 29-25 at halftime, largely on the strength of Nestorov’s playmaking and timely three-pointers from Mindermann and Stella Szabo.

Saint Mary’s found its footing in the third quarter behind Shoff, who scored 11 of her team-high 19 points after halftime. The Gaels used a 12-4 run to take their first lead since the game’s opening basket, going ahead 37-35 on an Edie Clarke layup with 2:38 left in the period. The teams traded blows from there, entering the fourth quarter tied at 41.

The final period featured five lead changes and two ties. Winner Bartholomew, who finished with 13 points for Pacific, scored on a layup with 1:20 left to give the Tigers a 54-51 lead. Latu answered for Saint Mary’s to cut the deficit to one, setting the stage for the tense final minute and Pacific’s game-sealing defensive stop and free throws.

Beyond Nestorov and Bartholomew, Sydney Ward added eight points and a game-high 10 rebounds for Pacific. For Saint Mary’s, Shoff’s 19 points and nine rebounds paced the Gaels, while Jada Hunter contributed 10 points. The Gaels won the battle in the paint, 28-26, and committed 18 turnovers to Pacific’s 17, but the Tigers capitalized more effectively, scoring 20 points off turnovers compared to Saint Mary’s 12.

The announced attendance was 367. Pacific will host Oregon State on Saturday, while Saint Mary’s is set to welcome Seattle.