January 15, 2011
San Antonio – Two-for-twenty seven.
That’s what the Lady Rattlers shot from beyond the 3-point arc Saturday, and it was really all that needed to be known about their 62-53 loss to Newman University at Bill Greehey Arena.
St. Mary’s cut the deficit to 51-49 with 4:56 left, but could not buy a basket down the stretch as the Jets closed the game on an 11-2 run.
“It almost felt like there was Saran Wrap over the thing,” said forward Mallory Moeller (Sr., Geronimo, Texas), who led the Rattlers with 18 points on a 7-for-9 showing. “It just was not our night tonight.”
The loss gave the Rattlers (11-7, 3-1) their first defeat in Heartland Conference play and snapped a four-game win streak.
St. Mary’s shot 32.3 percent from the floor, connecting on just 20 of 62 shots.
Even so, they had a chance late.
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Down by as many as nine points to start the second half, DeAnna Patterson (Jr., Converse, Texas) made consecutive baskets – a pull-up jumper and a slashing layup – to cut the score to 44-37 with 13 minutes left.
Then, with 10 minutes remaining, Kristen Williams (Sr., Kansas City, Mo.) split a double team inside to cut the deficit to 44-39.
On the very next possession, Patterson found Williams inside again, and she muscled her way for a conventional three-point play, bringing the Rattlers within two points at 44-42 with 9:22 left.
Later, after seeing the deficit swell back to six again, Moeller made a baseline jumper to bring the Rattlers back within two at 51-49.
But they couldn’t claw any closer.
“The shots weren’t falling tonight,” Moeller said. “But they will. They will fall again.”
Moeller scored nine of her points in the first eight minutes, giving St. Mary’s an early 17-15 lead.
Williams scored 13 points and Patterson added 11.
Newman (3-0 in conference) is the league’s only team that remains unbeaten in conference play.