MORAGA, Calif. – The Nevada women's basketball team suffered its first loss of the 2020-21 season Monday afternoon at Saint Mary's, falling 83-68 to the Gaels.
 
Newcomer Megan Ormiston, who was playing in her second game with Nevada after being cleared by the NCAA last week, led the Wolf Pack in scoring with a career-high 18 points. Ormiston bested her previous career high of 16 points, which she had set on Friday in her Wolf Pack debut. Junior Da'Ja Hamilton finished with 17 points and senior Nia Alexander also scored in double figures adding 10 points. Newcomer Bethany Carstens, who like Ormiston was cleared to play last week, scored her first points in a Wolf Pack uniform in the game and finished with eight points, including two 3-pointers.
 
The Wolf Pack (4-1) hung with the Gaels (2-4) for much of the first half, grabbing its first lead three minutes into the start of the contest. Nevada led by as many as five in the opening quarter, before Saint Mary's flipped the script and took a five-point lead of its own just before the end of the quarter. A steal by Carstens and layup on the other end by Nia Alexander cut the deficit to three after the first 10 minutes.
 
The second quarter was much like the first at the start. While the Wolf Pack, which battled foul trouble all game long, never regained the lead, the team was able to stay within striking distance for most of the period as the Gaels didn't lead by more than six until the 3:45 mark. The last few minutes of the second quarter proved to be the difference maker in the game. Saint Mary's closed the first half strong and grabbed its first double-digit lead of the contest with 2:17 left in the second quarter and took a 14-point advantage into halftime.
 
Despite a close third quarter, where the Wolf Pack was only outscored by two points, the Gaels defense did not allow Nevada to gain much traction in the period and cut into the lead. Saint Mary's continued to keep that pace the remainder of the game and did not relinquish its double-digit lead through the final two quarters. However, Nevada made a feverish comeback attempt as it trailed by as many as 23 midway through the fourth, and cut the deficit down to 12 with three minutes to play. The Gaels though were able to make the baskets they needed to down the stretch and halt the Pack's comeback bid.
 
Nevada will return to action Dec. 31 and Jan. 2 to open up Mountain West play with a two-game home series against New Mexico.