MORAGA, Calif. — After slumping through a three-game losing streak, the Gaels needed a boost to get them back on track and in the win column as non-conference play winds down. They got just that on Wednesday night, using a big second half and a bounce-back performance from their big man to down Missouri State 66-46. With the victory, Saint Mary's improves to 7-3 while dropping the Bears to 4-5.
 
HIT IT, SAX MAN!
Early on, it was very clear that Saint Mary's had a clear plan to get Mitchell Saxen involved, after a four-point performance against No. 1 Houston. He wound up being involved early and often, particularly in the first half, as he tied his career-best with 19 points. 15 of those points came in a big first half, where he scored the first six points of the game and 10 of the first 12. He was efficient on the night, going 8-13 from the floor, while also adding six rebounds. This marks the third time this season that Saxen has scored 19 points in a game.
 
TURNING ON THE JETS
The Gaels scored just 26 points in the first half, but they used a big second half to pull away from Missouri State, and it happened fast. They shot 59.3% from the floor in the second half, and made all four of their threes on the night in the second stanza. This led to 40 points on the board, and Aidan Mahaney was the standout. The freshman made his first collegiate start and went scoreless in the first half, but then went 6-8 from the floor with two dunks in the second half to lead the way with 13 points. The Gaels scored seven in a row after a quick Bears bucket to begin the second half, going up 33-23 on an Alex Ducas triple. Then the lead went from nine to 20 over a six-minute span where the Gaels outscored the Bears 11-2.
 
IT NEVER CHANGES
Defense has always been a staple of Randy Bennett coached teams, and Wednesday night was no exception. The Gaels held Missouri State to just 36.2% shooting and 7-20 from beyond the arc, while once again winning the battle on the boards by five. In terms of the advanced metrics, they held the Bears to just 0.793 points per possession, which puts them at 0.879 for the season, a mark that ranks eighth-best in the country. SMC is also limiting teams to just 55.9 points per game, a mark that leads the West Coast Conference. Wednesday's game was the third in the first 10 where the Gaels opponent has failed to score 50 points.
 
OTHER TIDBITS
The early activation of Saxen and his 19 points led to the Gaels owning a decisive 48-18 advantage on points in the paint, their largest of the season…Alex Ducas was also shutout in the first half like Mahaney, but managed to score nine points in the second half…after turning the ball over at least 13 times in four-straight games, the Gaels coughed it up just seven times on Wednesday night, their second-lowest mark of the year…nine of the 10 Gaels to play scored, and all 10 had at least one rebound.  
UP NEXT
The Gaels will take on their second ranked opponent in the last three games when they take on No. 22 San Diego State in their first game of the Jerry Colangelo Classic on Saturday afternoon. Tip-off is scheduled for 12:00 pm PT inside the Footprint Center, home of the Phoenix Suns. This is the first of two games the Gaels will play in Phoenix, with a return trip scheduled for December 21 against Wyoming. The Gaels have dropped games in each of the last two years to the Aztecs on neutral floors, including last year in Phoenix.