Feb. 24, 2007
Box Score
Malibu, CA - Tron Smith had a career-high 23 points and Brett Collins had a game high 25 points to lead the Saint Mary's men's basketball to a 97-72 road win over the Pepperdine Waves on Saturday night from the Firestone Fieldhouse. The win by the Gaels avenged an earlier season loss to the Waves.
En route to his career-high 23 points, Smith connected on a career-high 9-of-15 shots from the floor and a hit a career-best three 3-pointers. Smith scored 11 of SMC's first 27 points. Smith's best performance of the season was only topped by another career night for a Gael. Collins connected on a career-high seven 3-pointers. Collins connected on 9-of-15 shots overall, but went 7-of-11 from beyond the arc.
With the win, sixth-year head coach Randy Bennett earned his 100th victory at Saint Mary's, becoming just the second head coach in the history of the program to reach 100 wins. James Weaver holds the record with 110 career wins in seven seasons, from 1955-62.
After the Gaels (15-14/7-6 WCC) here held to less that 50 points in losses to Gonzaga and Portland, Saint Mary's has topped the 90 point mark in each of the last two games. For the first time since the 1996-97 season, Saint Mary's posted back-to-back 90-point outings.
The Gaels had their best shooting night of the season, connecting on a season-high 59 percent (36-51) shooting from the floor. SMC made a season-high 11 threes against Pepperdine (7-22/3-10 WCC), and the 55 percent (11-20) shooting from behind the arc marked just the second time the team shot better than 50 percent from 3-point land.
Including Smith and Collins' big nights, five players finished in double figures for the Gaels. Diamon Simpson finished with 16 points, Omar Samhan had 12 and Wayne Hunter added 10. Todd Golden, who just missed a triple-double in the last game, matched Simpson for game-high honors with eight rebounds.
Saint Mary's got off to a quick start, taking a 14-4 lead on a 3-pointer by Smith and the Gaels and never looked back. Pepperdine did cut the Gaels' lead to 27-23 on a three-point play by Willie Galick at the 7:52 mark of the first half. Saint Mary's then rallied and scored 25 points over the final 7:45 of the first half to take a commanding 52-33 at the intermission.
During the final seven minutes and change of the first, Collins caught fire and scored 11 points in the final 2:38 of the half to lead the Gaels in scoring at halftime. Collins, who hit 4-of-6 threes in the first half, had 14 points at the break and was one of four players to score in double figures in the first 20 minutes. Simpson and Smith had 12 points at the break, and Samhan had 10.
Saint Mary's remained hot in the second half, as it took its biggest lead of the game at 29 points (79-50), when Collins hit a 3-pointer sixth three of the game at the 9:49 mark and then made his seventh three with 5:53 left in the game. The school record for threes made in a game is eight, which his held by David Sivulich and Eric Schraeder.
Four players scored in double figures for Pepperdine as Willie Galick paced the Waves with 14 points. Blake Wallace came off the bench to score 13, Chase Griffin had 12 and Jarrad Henry added 10 points.
Saint Mary's will play its final regular season game on Monday night when the Gaels play at Loyola Marymount. The game between SMC and the Lions will tip-off at 8 p.m. from the Gersten Pavlion and can be seen on ESPNU.
