MORAGA, Calif. — The Gaels opened their season with a dominant display of excellence against Stanislaus State, using their size and physicality to stifle the scrappy Warriors in a 107-28 victory. Offensively, Saint Mary's used their size to gain inside position to dominate, scoring 56 points in the, while on the defensive front, the Gaels' tenacious effort forced 17 turnovers.  

The first half was an absolute marvel, with the Gaels closing it out on a 25-0 run over the final 7:47. Despite the high scoring output, not one Gael scored in double figures in the first frame, with all nine athletes who touched the floor getting involved in the scoring. 32 of those first fifty points were scored in the paint, as the Gaels shot 53% from the field, and held Stanislaus to just a 13% clip.  

Despite the hefty lead, Saint Mary's stayed locked in in half number two, continuing their brand of physical play, no matter which combination of the 13 Gaels who played were on the court. 12 of those 13 players scored, with all 13 recording at least one positive statistic. In his Gael debut, Mason Forbes led all scorers with 19 points, just three off of his collegiate career-best from his Harvard days. 

The 79 point margin of victory marked the largest in program history. The previous record belonged to the 2010-11 Gaels, who defeated Chicago State by a 121-52 tally. The 28 points allowed marked the fewest points allowed by the Gaels in a single game since the 2016-17 team held San Diego to 27 points.

ALLOW HIM TO RE-INTRODUCE HIMSELF
With the stellar defensive play of Kyle Bowen at the four a season ago, Gaels fans only saw Joshua Jefferson in brief spurts in games a season ago. Tonight, however, Jefferson made sure his name was known, scoring a career-high 12 points, ripping down a career best seven rebounds, good to tie his career mark, and serving as an overall nuisance to Stanislaus State on offense and defense alike. Jefferson, who was recently named to College Hoops Todays "20 under-the-radar breakout players for the 2023-24 college basketball season", made sure that recognition was well merited tonight as one of numerous Gaels standouts. 

HE'S A PLAYMAKER
In his freshman campaign with the Gaels, Aidan Mahaney quickly gained notoriety as a knock down shooter and a prolific scorer, but tonight, on top of his 15 points, Mahaney proved he can distribute the rock as well. Aidan tied his career-high dishing out five assists, as he occupied the point guard role for a decent chunk of minutes while starting point guard Augustas Marciulionis dealt with foul trouble. His five assists were part of a very strong 22 assist night for the Gaels. The ability to not only score, but also to enable his teammates to score should further help Aidan's cause to be recognized as one of the top players (playing for one of the top teams) in the nation. 

CAREER NIGHTS A-PLENTY
Joshua Jefferson and Aidan Mahaney were not the only players who got in on the career-high setting evening. Although he was one point off of his scoring best, center Harry Wessels was ferocious on the glass, ripping down a career-high eight rebounds, tying him with Mitchell Saxen for the team lead, while also tying his career bests with two assists and two blocks. Luke Barrett and Chris Howell each also recorded career nights on the glass with six and five rebounds respectively, all part of a 59-22 rebounding performance by the Gaels. Rounding out the numerous career-highs were four Gaels who made their collegiate debuts this evening. In just ten minutes of play, Rory Hawke dropped 13 points on 4-5 shooting from the field and a perfect 3-3 clip from beyond the arc. Point guards Cade Bennett and Jordan Ross each scored three points, with the former dishing out four assists, and the latter bringing in four rebounds and two assists.

POSTGAME CHATS
Following tonight's match, Mitchell Saxen, Aidan Mahaney and Head Coach Randy Bennett sat down with members of the media. Here's what they had to say:



UP NEXT
The Gaels will play host to the University of New Mexico on Thursday, November 9. Tip off is scheduled for 7 PM inside UCU Pavilion. 

DON'T MISS OUT ON HOME MEN'S BASKETBALL ACTION. TICKETS ARE ON SALE HERE. 

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