MBK | Gaels Get Defensive, Turn Away San Francisco
12/30/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
MORAGA, Calif. – When Saint Mary's men's basketball coach Randy Bennett talks about the room his team still has to grow, his comments often center on the defensive end of the floor.
On Monday, the Gaels took another positive step in that area, earning a significant advantage in the turnover battle that helped pave the way for a 69-56 win over rival San Francisco at McKeon Pavilion.
Brad Waldow led Saint Mary's (9-3, 2-0 West Coast Conference) in scoring for the ninth time this season, finishing with 21 points and 10 rebounds to record his ninth double-double of the year. Desmond Simmons added 13 points and nine rebounds while Garrett Jackson and Emmett Naar each chipped in with 10 points. Tim Derksen led San Francisco (7-7, 1-1) with 15.
In much the same fashion as Saturday's win over Santa Clara, the Gaels used a strong start to the second half to create a bit of distance from their competition. Leading by just five at the break, SMC extended the lead to 12 thanks to a 7-0 run that Simmons capped with a 3-pointer from the corner.
The lead stayed steady for the first 10 minutes of the half, eventually reaching 18 when Simmons connected on another 3-pointer to make the score 53-35 with 8:40 to play. A dunk by USF's Matt Glover cut Saint Mary's lead to 53-41 with 6:41 to play but Kerry Carter brought momentum back to the hosts with a 3-pointer on SMC's next possession.
Though Saint Mary's did its part on the offensive end, the game ultimately hinged on the Gaels' ability to force San Francisco into uncomfortable situations when it had the ball. The Dons turned the ball over 14 times to just seven by SMC. That resulted in a lopsided 21-4 advantage for the Gaels in points off turnovers.
"I thought, across the board, we played well these last two games. We're getting better," Bennett said. "It starts with defense. I feel like we're a little harder to score on than we were early in the year and we're a little more consistent there. We didn't make shots the first half and we were still up, so I was encouraged by that."
Cold shooting plagued both teams to begin the game, with San Francisco going 5 for its first 15 and Saint Mary's making just seven of its first 19 shots. The low percentages kept the score close, and by the under-8 media time out, Saint Mary's held a slim 16-14 lead.
A late run gave the Gaels a bit of a cushion, and helped Saint Mary's carry a five-point lead into halftime. After a transition layup by Derksen squared the score at 22, Bennett called time out to restore a bit of equilibrium for the home squad.
The brief pause worked, with the next seven points coming courtesy of a pair of Waldow layups and a 3 from Naar. Derksen scored the last basket of the half, but Saint Mary's led 29-24 thanks in part to a tremendous 20 minutes from Waldow. The big man finished the half seven of nine from the floor for 15 points and eight rebounds.
"We had great practices all week and got some time off for Christmas break so we were finally fresh," Waldow said. "... We played great defense but there's always room to improve there.
Saint Mary's now hits the road for the next two games as the Gaels travel to Southern California for a New Year's Day date with Pepperdine. That game is scheduled for a 5 p.m. tip from Firestone Fieldhouse. The trip concludes on Saturday with a 1 p.m. game at Loyola Marymount. SMC's next home game comes Jan. 6 at 7 p.m. when Morgan State visits for the Gaels' final non-conference game of the season.
Players Mentioned
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