MBK | Gaels Roll To Season Opening Victory
11/14/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
MORAGA, Calif. -- Sophomore guard Emmett Naar smashed his previous career bests with 27 points and seven 3-point field goals to lead the Saint Mary's men's basketball team to an 80-56 victory over Division II San Francisco State Friday in McKeon Pavilion.
After a slow start, a pro-Gaels crowd of 2,589 helped inspire Saint Mary's to its 14th straight season opening victory and its ninth straight against San Francisco State, dating back to 1973.
The Gaels return to action Monday night at 7 p.m. when they host fellow Lasallian institution Manhattan. Tickets are available through SMCGaels.com or by calling the SMC Athletic Ticket Office at (925) 631-GoTx (4689) during business hours on Monday.
Monday's game will feature a free high definition video stream and live statistical coverage via GaelVision on SMCGaels.com. For the second straight season, GaelVision is free and no subscription is required. The stream is available on a variety of platforms, including computers, tablets and smartphones.
Despite losing all five starters from a year ago, the Gaels played like they had been together for years. A total of 11 different players saw action in the game and no player logged more than 29 total minutes. Six Saint Mary's players made their McKeon Pavilion debut, including five freshmen.
A native of Sydney and one of six Australian players in the Saint Mary's program, Naar missed his first two shots in the game and didn't score his first points until connecting the first of his seven three pointers with 9:30 left in the first half.
After that point, Naar was nearly unstoppable. He made 10 of his final 12 shots, including seven of nine 3-point attempts. His seven threes was just one short of the school record shared by David Sivulich and Eric Schraeder.
He easily eclipsed his previous career best of 14 points he set twice last season. His high for 3-pointers in a game was three on five different occasions.
Junior forward Dane Pineau showed his usual efficiency, scoring eight points on 4-of-5 from the field to go with 11 rebounds, two blocks and a steal. Redshirt freshman Evan Fitzner scored nine points and sophomore center Jock Landale added eight points and five rebounds.
Junior Joe Rahon made a successful Saint Mary's debut after sitting out last year following his transfer from Boston College. The San Diego native handed out eight assists to go with eight points, three rebounds and 3-of-6 shooting.
FOLLOW ALONG
For up-to-date news, photos, videos and other features you can follow Saint Mary's College varsity athletic teams on Twitter (@SMCGaels), Instagram (@SMCGaels) and Facebook Facebook.com/SMCGaels. You can also watch great video on-demand highlights and features as well as most Gaels sporting events live via GaelVision on SMCGaels.com.
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A gift to the Gael Athletic Fund directly benefits Saint Mary's student-athletes. This allows them the opportunity to attain an education guided by our Catholic, Lasallian and Liberal Arts traditions while participating in a competitive athletic experience. Monies raised through the Fund will assist in funding scholarships, facilities, operating budgets and academic support.
Players Mentioned
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