MORAGA, Calif., -- The Loyola Marymount University women's basketball team put up a fight against the Saint Mary's Gaels, while Chelsey Gipson scored a season high and tied a career high. The team fell to the Gaels in Moraga, Calif. 86-70. 
 
LMU vs Saint Mary's College 
 
The Lions opened up the first quarter with a 7-0 run, not letting the Gaels score until almost three and a half minutes. SMC responded, and then took the lead, but LMU battled back. The teams battled back and forth with the lead, but a three-point shot from Saint Mary's gave the Gaels a 16-15  lead to end the first quarter. 
 
The Lions were able to tie things up twice early in the second quarter, but SMC didn't give the Lions the lead. LMU stayed neck and neck until SMC went on a 7-0 run to close out the half up 42-34. 
 
LMU continued to fight going into the third, but the team couldn't tie things up or take the lead back, closing out the third down 63-57.
 
Saint Mary's quickly took the lead early in the fourth quarter. Gipson marked her season high early in the fourth after hitting a three-point shot. The team wasn't able to respond to the Gaels, closing out the game down 86-70. 
 
Gipson led the team in points with 27, marking her season high and coming close to her career high of 29. The junior also tied her career high in three-point shots with five and led the team in steals with CiCi Ellington, as both had four a piece. Laura Vaida led the team in rebounds and assists with nine and four, while Ellington had seven and five. 
 
The Lions had 38 total rebounds, compared to the Gaels 42. LMU went 37 percent from the field and 42.1 percent from behind the arch, while SMC went 52.3 and 40 percent. 
 
 
Up next: The Lions will be back home in Gersten Pavilion next week to host San Francisco and Santa Clara.