MBB | Saint Mary's Tames Tigers on Senior Night

Thursday, February 25

Moraga, CA

8:00 PM

Saint Mary's College of California

13-7,4-5WCC

Pacific

8-8,5-7WCC

Pacific

Saint Mary's (CA)

Photo by: Saint Mary's Athletics / Tod Fierner

MBB | Saint Mary's Tames Tigers on Senior Night

2/25/2021 10:26:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

MORAGA, Calif. — Saint Mary's (13-7, 4-5 WCC) got the job done in their final home game of the regular season by defeating Pacific 58-46 on Thursday night. Prior to the game, SMC honored Tommy Kuhse as well as student-manager Holden Wright as part of Senior Night festivities.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Logan Johnson continued his torrid stretch during conference play with a 17-point performance tonight. The junior was 3-of-6 from beyond the arc, picked up four assists, and played all 40 minutes. Johnson leads the team in scoring in WCC contests with 15.3 points per game.

Matthias Tass also had a strong showing with 15 points and eight rebounds. The big man was 6-of-12 from the field and played 34 minutes. Tommy Kuhse, playing in what could be his final game inside UCU Pavilion, went for seven points, six rebounds, and four dimes.

Saint Mary's had one of their better defensive outings of the season by holding Pacific to just 46 points which was the fewest points allowed to a WCC opponent in over two years (Feb. 23, 2019 vs. San Diego, 46). The Gaels recorded a season-high seven blocks with five of them coming within the first five minutes of the game.

Neither team shot the ball particularly well in the opening 20 but Saint Mary's did pound the Tigers down low. Tass had seven points and six rebounds in the period and Mitchell Saxen provided an offensive boost off the bench late in the half with three made buckets in only five minutes.

The Gaels ended the first half on a 7-0 run to take a 25-19 lead into the locker room. The 19 points scored by Pacific was the second fewest points scored by an SMC opponent in an opening half this year behind only 17 scored by Colorado State on Dec. 19.

Coming out of break, SMC went on a 7-0 run capped off by a Johnson three to go up 32-23. A minute later, Kyle Bowen splashed a triple to push the lead to 10.

SMC's offense began clicking in the second half and the team shot 46 percent in the period with six assists on their 11 buckets. Johnson had 13 of his 17 points in the final 20 minutes.

NUMBERS TO KNOW
36: Saint Mary's led for nearly 36 minutes (35:59) and trailed for only 11 seconds.
17: The team's largest lead of the game which came in the final minute.
9: The Gaels outrebounded Pacific by nine, 41-32.
7: Three Gaels posted seven or more rebounds (Fotu-9, Tass-8, Bowen-7)

UP NEXT: BRIGHAM YOUNG
Saint Mary's will travel to Provo, Utah for their final game of the regular season on Saturday. The game tips off at 7 p.m. Pacific and can be watched live on ESPNU.

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