MORAGA, Calif. (Interstat) — The Saint Mary’s Gaels used a dominant second-quarter surge and capitalized on a staggering number of New Mexico State turnovers to secure a 70-59 victory in a nonconference women’s basketball game Saturday at McKeon Pavilion.

Despite a spectacular individual performance from New Mexico State’s Morane Dossou, the Gaels methodically pulled away after a tight first quarter to improve to 9-4 on the season. The Aggies fell to 3-8.

The game turned decisively in the second period. After the teams ended the first quarter knotted at 14, Saint Mary’s seized control with a 19-12 quarter. The Gaels’ defense was the catalyst, forcing eight Aggie turnovers in the period alone, which they converted into 11 points. A key 10-2 run, fueled by steals and transition opportunities, gave Saint Mary’s a 33-26 halftime lead it would not relinquish.

New Mexico State’s primary struggle was an inability to maintain possession. The Aggies committed 27 turnovers, which the opportunistic Gaels converted into 29 points. Saint Mary’s also tallied 16 steals, led by the backcourt pressure of Mauriana Hashemian-Orr and Jada Hunter. While the Aggies actually shot a higher percentage from the field, making 25 of 46 attempts compared to Saint Mary’s 24 of 54, the massive disparity in extra chances proved insurmountable.

The Aggies were carried by the all-around effort of Dossou, a guard from France. She finished with 15 points, a remarkable 17 rebounds, six assists and two blocks in 33 minutes. Imani Warren added 16 points for New Mexico State, and Loes Rozing contributed 11. Their efforts kept the Aggies within striking distance, but every run was answered by the Gaels’ balanced attack.

Saint Mary’s spread the scoring, with Abigail Shoff leading the way with 14 points and six rebounds. Emily Foy and Mauriana Hashemian-Orr each added nine points, while Melesungu Afeaki provided a key spark off the bench with eight points in just 10 minutes. The Gaels shared the ball effectively, registering 16 assists on 24 made field goals.

After taking a seven-point lead into halftime, Saint Mary’s maintained its composure in the second half. The Aggies cut the deficit to five points on several occasions in the third quarter, but each time the Gaels responded. A Shoff three-pointer and a layup from Hashemian-Orr pushed the lead back to nine. The Aggies never got closer than seven points in the final quarter as Saint Mary’s consistently found answers, often generated by its defense.

The most important sequence of the game occurred late in the second quarter with Saint Mary’s holding a narrow 18-16 lead. In a span of just over two minutes, the Gaels forced four consecutive New Mexico State turnovers. This defensive havoc sparked a 9-0 run, featuring a three-pointer from Ella Wedin, free throws, and a transition layup from Emily Foy. That burst extended the lead to 27-16 and established a cushion that provided Saint Mary’s with control for the remainder of the contest.

Saint Mary’s also won the battle at the free-throw line, attempting 26 free throws to New Mexico State’s 11, and made 16. The Gaels also grabbed 12 offensive rebounds to the Aggies’ eight, leading to 11 second-chance points.

New Mexico State continues its road swing with a game at Eastern New Mexico on Dec. 29 before opening Conference USA play. Saint Mary’s remains at home to host Portland on Dec. 28 in its West Coast Conference opener.