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December 21, 1998

MORAGA, Calif. - The St. Mary's Gaels, behind's Tracy Morris' 23 points and 10 rebounds and a commanding advantage at the free throw line, overcame Washington State's second half lead to post a 78-73 win in a women's non-conference basketball game before a crowd of 1,157 Monday evening.

Alke Dietel paced WSU (6-3) with 22 points and seven boards, while Kathy McNeely added a career high 18 points, including 14 in the first half as the Cougs held a 40-38 lead at intermission.

Morris had scoring help from Jermisha Dosty with 17 points and J. R. Payne, who added 12 for St. Mary's (9-2). The Gaels held a slim 40-38 advantage on the boards and at the free throw line the host club hit 14 of 19 free throws. The Cougars went to the charity line just twice and converted both free throws. WSU was hit with 17 fouls, St. Mary's just six.

WSU's biggest lead in the first half was an eight-point advantage early in the game, 16-8. Late in the opening half WSU was ahead 38-32 before St. Mary's cut the advantage to two points at halftime. Thanks to Sheri Quinton's seven rebounds, WSU held a 23-21 advantage on the boards in the first half.

Dosty's layin and Morris' jumper gave St. Mary's a lead shortly after intermission, 42-40 and for the next nine minutes the Gaels built up a 13-point lead, 59-46, with just under 11 minutes to play.

Dietel then carried WSU on a 24-6 run as the Cougs regained the lead. Quiet for the first 30 minutes of the game, the 6-4 Cougar forward scored 17 of WSU's next 24 points, including a string of four straight three-pointers, as WSU regained the lead, 70-63, with six minutes to play.

Payne then started the Gaels' comeback with a short jumper and over the final 5:41, St. Mary's outscored WSU 15-3 to pick up the win. WSU's only score in the last five minutes was Jennifer Kerns' three-point bucket.

"In the first half we did a better job of rebounding than we have been doing, but even though we scored 73 points, we had trouble on offense," offered interim Cougar coach Barbara Ehardt, who filled in for Harold Rhodes while Rhodes was in Alabama for his mother's funeral.

"Our offense against their man defense wasn't clicking and we turned the ball over too many times," Ehardt said. "The one player who really stepped up for us was McNeely. She contributed on offense and did a nice job on defense."

Monday's game also marked the debut of former Cougar volleyball star Jennifer Stinson, who hit her only shot in eight minutes of action. She also had a rebound, blocked one shot and made one steal. Stinson missed the last month of WSU's volleyball season with a dislocated ankle.

The Cougars return to action Sunday, Dec. 27, in an exhibition game at home against the Portland Saints, then open Pacific-10 Conference play Jan. 4 at Washington.

WSU (73) - Dietel 8-19 1-1 22, McNeely 7-11 0-0 18, Quinton 3-4 0-0 6,
Tricia Lamb 3-9 0-0 8, Katie Nyseth 1-2 0-0 2, Jennifer Kerns 3-6 1-1 9,
Harrod 2-5 0-0 4, Volkman 1-9 0-0 2, Stinson 1-1 0-0 2, Team 29-66 2-2 73.
St. Mary's (78) - Berg 3-8 2-2 8, Dosty 7-11 3-4 17, Parker 3-7 0-0 6,
Morris 9-20 4-4 23, Payne 4-8 1-3 12, Jolley 1-1 0-0 3, Abraham 0-2 0-2 0,
Volmer 0-1 0-0 0, Hall 0-0 0-0 0, Quintal 0-2 0-0 0, Prado 1-1 0-0 3, Dosty
1-6 4-4 6, Team 29-67 14-19 78.

Halftime - WSU 40, St. Mary's 38.  3-point goals - WSU 13 (Dietel 5-8,
Kerns 2-3, Lamb 2-5, McNeely 4-5, Volkman 0-1), St. Mary's 6-16 (Berg 0-2,
Morris 1-3, Payne 3-6, Jolley 1-1, Volmer 0-1, Quintal 0-2 Prado 1-1).
Fouled out - Quinton.  Rebounds - WSU 38 (Quinton 8), St. Mary's 40 (Morris
10).  Assists - WSU 14 (Nyseth 3), St. Mary's 21 (Payne 9).  Steals - WSU
11 (Nyseth 4), St. Mary's 17 (Morris, Payne 3).  Turnovers - WSU 24
(Dietel, Lamb 6), St. Mary's 18 (Morris 5).  Total Fouls - WSU 17, St.
Mary's 6.  Technical - None.  A-1,157.