Avery Oaster delivered a historic performance Thursday night, leading the Saint Martin’s women's basketball team to a 73-53 victory over Northwest Nazarene at Marcus Pavilion and extending the Saints’ winning streak to six games.
Oaster poured in a career-high 30 points and grabbed a personal-best 16 rebounds while setting a program record with 15 made field goals. Her 15 baskets rank sixth in Great Northwest Athletic Conference history. She also added four blocks in a dominant all-around effort.
The Saints improved to 16-8 overall and 12-3 in GNAC play.
Saint Martin’s set the tone from the opening tip, racing out to a 6-0 lead and holding Northwest Nazarene to just 16.7% shooting in the first quarter. A pair of early 3-pointers from Jada Travis helped fuel a 21-10 advantage after one period.
The Nighthawks opened the second quarter with a brief 6-1 run, but Oaster halted the momentum with a jumper midway through the period. Moments later, Karyss Lacanlale found Kasey Booster for a corner 3-pointer to stretch the lead to 29-16. Oaster followed with a basket in the paint to push the margin to 31-16, forcing a Northwest Nazarene timeout.
Saint Martin’s controlled the glass throughout the half, holding an 11-6 rebounding edge in the second quarter and taking a 38-25 lead into the break.
The Saints broke the game open in the third quarter with a 7-0 run to start the half. Kiana Rios scored twice during the surge, and Travis added another 3-pointer as Saint Martin’s extended the lead to 45-25. The Saints shot 55.6% in the quarter and carried a commanding 60-39 advantage into the fourth after Oaster beat the buzzer with a layup.
Northwest Nazarene attempted a late rally in the fourth, trimming the deficit to 69-52 with just over three minutes remaining. Oaster answered with a jumper out of a timeout to restore control, and Saint Martin’s closed out the 20-point win.
Travis finished with 17 points and nine rebounds, while Rios added nine points and 10 boards. The Saints dominated the rebounding battle 44-26, marking their second-largest rebounding margin against a Division II opponent this season.
Saint Martin’s returns to action Saturday, Feb. 21, hosting Central Washington at 5:15 p.m. as part of the university’s 2026 homecoming celebration. The program will honor seniors Madelyn Brown, Lilly Koki and Kiana Rios prior to tipoff.
