Tuesday, December 3
Moraga, CA
7:00 PM
Saint Mary's College of California
8-1,0-0WCC
82
vs
74
UTSA
3-4,0-0AAC
1
2
OT 1
F
UTSA
25
42
7
74
Saint Mary's (CA)
39
28
15
82
Augustas Marciulionis: 23 points, 8 assists, 3 steals
Photo by: Saint Mary's Athletics / Tod Fierner
MBB | Gaels Need OT to Outlast Surging UTSA Squad
12/3/2024 11:24:00 PM | Men's Basketball
MORAGA, Calif. — Saint Mary's (8-1) trailed UTSA (3-4) for just 30 seconds in this one at 3-2 in the first half, but that didn't stop the Roadrunners, who entered riding a two game win streak, from making things interesting, forcing overtime before the Gaels could finish strong to earn a hard fought 82-74 victory. While UTSA was able to throw blow after blow to keep the Gaels on their toes, Saint Mary's never allowed them to throw a knockout punch, keeping themselves level and answering every big Roadrunner shot with a bucket of their own, and eventually getting the stops they needed to pick up the OT W.
The Gaels came out of the gates hot defensively. Saint Mary's jumped out to a 30-7 lead through the first 12 minutes, holding the Roadrunners to just two made field goals in that stretch. Following the under eight minute media timeouts, however, UTSA switched to a zone defense, something the Gaels haven't seen much of at all this season. For the final 7:50 of the first half, the Roadrunners cut things down to a 14 point deficit, outscoring the Gaels 18-9 in that stretch, bringing the score to 39-25 at the break. Augustas Marciulionis led the way for the Gaels in half one with 11 points and three assists. Mitchell Saxen added eight points and six boards, moving him into the top-10 in program history in rebounding, while Luke Barrett did the inverse, with six points and eight boards. Marciulionis and Barrett each played the entire first half, as the Gaels outmuscled the Roadrunners to the tune of +8 on the glass, +7 in second chance points and +6 on points in the paint.
The UTSA zone continued to puzzle the Gaels in half number two, as they outscored Saint Mary's 42-28 in the second half. Up 14 at the half, the Gaels extended their lead to 19 points at 59-40 with 11:10 to go in regulation, but would be outscored 27-8 down the stretch, as the Roadrunners would tie things up at 63 all with 2:12 remaining, and against at 67-67 with six seconds left. A three point attempt at the buzzer by Jordan Ross would miss short, and the Gaels would head to overtime for the first time in nearly a year. Augustas Marciulionis added eight more points and four more assists in the second half, as he continued to try and steer the Gaels ships through the storm that was UTSA. Paulius Murauskas and Luke Barrett each added six, with Murauskas ripping down a team high six second half rebounds (tied with Mitchell Saxen). This half, it was Saxen and Marciulionis who did not leave the floor. The Gaels shot just 36% from the field, 11% from three, and saw their free throw percentage fall from 83.3% in the first half to just 70.6% by the end of regulation after a 9-16 second half clip. Saint Mary's turned the ball over 10 times in the second half, resulting in 16 Roadrunner points.
The Gaels opened the extra frame on a 6-0 run over the first two minutes, and never looked back. It was a Mitchell Saxen three point play that seemed to put the game to bed, as after the Roadrunners put themselves back within one possession with two minutes left, Saxen converted the layup to bring the deficit back to five, and the free throw to push SMC's lead to six with 100 ticks remaining, eventually ended the game with an 82-74 victory. Mitchell Saxen scored five points in overtime, not missing from the field (1-1) or from the stripe (3-3). Paulius Murauskas added four points and three ferocious rebounds, including two of the offensive variety. In the extra frame, the Gaels shot 4-6 from the field, 7-9 from the stripe, and most importantly, did not turn the ball over.
Augustas Marciulionis surpassed the 20 point mark for the second time this season, scoring 23 points on 7-11 shooting and 8-10 shooting from the stripe. The senior played all but the final nine seconds of the game, and also had a team-best eight assists to go along with three steals. Mitchell Saxen picked up his fourth double-double of the season, scoring a season-high 15 points and tying a season-high with 13 boards. Saxen also was once again able to demonstrate his incredible defensive prowess, with four steals, four blocks, and countless other shots altered. Luke Barrett notched his third double-double of the season and his career with 12 points and 11 rebounds, while Paulius Murauskas added his fifth of the season with 12 points and 12 boards, continuing to rank in the top-10 in the NCAA in double-doubles. Despite the game being so tight, the Gaels were still able to play their physical brand of basketball, outscoring the Roadrunners 38-24 in the paint, which helped soften the blow of a 3-21 shooting night from beyond the arc.
TRIPLE DOUBLE-DOUBLE AGAIN!
Earlier this season against Akron, Saint Mary's enjoyed their first triple double-double since 2011, as Augustas Marculionis, Paulius Murauskas and Mitchell Saxen all recorded double-doubles against the Zips. Tonight, the Gaels reached that feat again, this time with Murauskas, Saxen and Luke Barrett making up the trio that all got to double-digits in two separate stat categories each. That trio accounted for 39 of the Gaels 82 points and 36 of their 45 rebounds in a game that Saint Mary's needed their forwards to take control of. Saint Mary's narrowly missed their program's first quad double-double, as Augustas Marciulionis finished with 23 points and eight assists, just two shy of that feat.
BACK AS REGULARS AT THE STRIPE
Saint Mary's made 43 trips to the free throw line, drawing 28 UTSA fouls, and connected on 31 of those attempts. It was their most makes from the charity stripe since the 2022-23 seasons, when the Gaels made 32 against San Francisco at home (2/2/23), and the most attempts since the 2013-14 season, when they shot 43 against Pacific at home (1/18/14). The Gaels started off red-hot from the stripe, connecting on 18 of their first 21, but shot just 9-16 in the second half, before rebounding to close things out with a 7-9 performance in overtime. Paulius Murauskas was the most frequent visitor to the free throw line, shooting 8-11 after drawing nine UTSA fouls. Augustas Marciulionis was not far behind going 8-10. Off the bench, Ashton Hardaway and Harry Wessels combined to go a perfect 6-6.
SAXEN TO THE TOP-10 FOR A THIRD TIME
Mitchell Saxen needed just six rebounds to get to the top-10 in program history in rebounding. He more than doubled that, with 13 tonight, bringing him to 719 for his career, surpassing LaRoy Doss '59 for tenth all-time. Saxen now ranks in the top-10 in rebounds, blocks (5th, 123) and blocks per game (5th, 0.95), and is one game played shy of joining the top-10 in that category with 131.
POSTGAME CHATS
UP NEXT
The Gaels will hit the road to Salt Lake City for their only true road contest of the non-conference slate, squaring off with the University of Utah. Tip-off is set for 4 PM PST on December 7.
DON'T MISS OUT ON HOME MEN'S BASKETBALL ACTION. TICKETS ARE ON SALE HERE.
#GaelsRise
The Gaels came out of the gates hot defensively. Saint Mary's jumped out to a 30-7 lead through the first 12 minutes, holding the Roadrunners to just two made field goals in that stretch. Following the under eight minute media timeouts, however, UTSA switched to a zone defense, something the Gaels haven't seen much of at all this season. For the final 7:50 of the first half, the Roadrunners cut things down to a 14 point deficit, outscoring the Gaels 18-9 in that stretch, bringing the score to 39-25 at the break. Augustas Marciulionis led the way for the Gaels in half one with 11 points and three assists. Mitchell Saxen added eight points and six boards, moving him into the top-10 in program history in rebounding, while Luke Barrett did the inverse, with six points and eight boards. Marciulionis and Barrett each played the entire first half, as the Gaels outmuscled the Roadrunners to the tune of +8 on the glass, +7 in second chance points and +6 on points in the paint.
15:55 | SMC 6 - UTSA 3
— Saint Mary's Hoops (@saintmaryshoops) December 4, 2024
Five minutes in, and Mitchell Saxen has every basket for the Gaels so far!#GaelsRise pic.twitter.com/t1PxH7UKOm
Caught 'em slippin' 🔥#GaelsRise pic.twitter.com/7VUIfsgD9q
— Saint Mary's Hoops (@saintmaryshoops) December 4, 2024
The UTSA zone continued to puzzle the Gaels in half number two, as they outscored Saint Mary's 42-28 in the second half. Up 14 at the half, the Gaels extended their lead to 19 points at 59-40 with 11:10 to go in regulation, but would be outscored 27-8 down the stretch, as the Roadrunners would tie things up at 63 all with 2:12 remaining, and against at 67-67 with six seconds left. A three point attempt at the buzzer by Jordan Ross would miss short, and the Gaels would head to overtime for the first time in nearly a year. Augustas Marciulionis added eight more points and four more assists in the second half, as he continued to try and steer the Gaels ships through the storm that was UTSA. Paulius Murauskas and Luke Barrett each added six, with Murauskas ripping down a team high six second half rebounds (tied with Mitchell Saxen). This half, it was Saxen and Marciulionis who did not leave the floor. The Gaels shot just 36% from the field, 11% from three, and saw their free throw percentage fall from 83.3% in the first half to just 70.6% by the end of regulation after a 9-16 second half clip. Saint Mary's turned the ball over 10 times in the second half, resulting in 16 Roadrunner points.
Kicking off the second half with a nice dunk from Paulius Murauskas👏#GaelsRise pic.twitter.com/NLMrDZ6ZuQ
— Saint Mary's Hoops (@saintmaryshoops) December 4, 2024
Augustas Marciulionis with the THREEEEE👌#GaelsRise pic.twitter.com/dr6ncQOq36
— Saint Mary's Hoops (@saintmaryshoops) December 4, 2024
Luke Barrett entering double digits in points scored🔥#GaelsRise pic.twitter.com/AIsHQASMJ0
— Saint Mary's Hoops (@saintmaryshoops) December 4, 2024
Luke Barrett keeping the lead for the Gaels after a rebound from Mitchell Saxen🙌#GaelsRise pic.twitter.com/Uxp5PawH1k
— Saint Mary's Hoops (@saintmaryshoops) December 4, 2024
The Gaels opened the extra frame on a 6-0 run over the first two minutes, and never looked back. It was a Mitchell Saxen three point play that seemed to put the game to bed, as after the Roadrunners put themselves back within one possession with two minutes left, Saxen converted the layup to bring the deficit back to five, and the free throw to push SMC's lead to six with 100 ticks remaining, eventually ended the game with an 82-74 victory. Mitchell Saxen scored five points in overtime, not missing from the field (1-1) or from the stripe (3-3). Paulius Murauskas added four points and three ferocious rebounds, including two of the offensive variety. In the extra frame, the Gaels shot 4-6 from the field, 7-9 from the stripe, and most importantly, did not turn the ball over.
MITCHELL SAXEN stepping up in overtime with 6 points in the past 4 minutes💪#GaelsRise pic.twitter.com/PyxKHAX1Pu
— Saint Mary's Hoops (@saintmaryshoops) December 4, 2024
Augustas Marciulionis surpassed the 20 point mark for the second time this season, scoring 23 points on 7-11 shooting and 8-10 shooting from the stripe. The senior played all but the final nine seconds of the game, and also had a team-best eight assists to go along with three steals. Mitchell Saxen picked up his fourth double-double of the season, scoring a season-high 15 points and tying a season-high with 13 boards. Saxen also was once again able to demonstrate his incredible defensive prowess, with four steals, four blocks, and countless other shots altered. Luke Barrett notched his third double-double of the season and his career with 12 points and 11 rebounds, while Paulius Murauskas added his fifth of the season with 12 points and 12 boards, continuing to rank in the top-10 in the NCAA in double-doubles. Despite the game being so tight, the Gaels were still able to play their physical brand of basketball, outscoring the Roadrunners 38-24 in the paint, which helped soften the blow of a 3-21 shooting night from beyond the arc.
TRIPLE DOUBLE-DOUBLE AGAIN!
Earlier this season against Akron, Saint Mary's enjoyed their first triple double-double since 2011, as Augustas Marculionis, Paulius Murauskas and Mitchell Saxen all recorded double-doubles against the Zips. Tonight, the Gaels reached that feat again, this time with Murauskas, Saxen and Luke Barrett making up the trio that all got to double-digits in two separate stat categories each. That trio accounted for 39 of the Gaels 82 points and 36 of their 45 rebounds in a game that Saint Mary's needed their forwards to take control of. Saint Mary's narrowly missed their program's first quad double-double, as Augustas Marciulionis finished with 23 points and eight assists, just two shy of that feat.
BACK AS REGULARS AT THE STRIPE
Saint Mary's made 43 trips to the free throw line, drawing 28 UTSA fouls, and connected on 31 of those attempts. It was their most makes from the charity stripe since the 2022-23 seasons, when the Gaels made 32 against San Francisco at home (2/2/23), and the most attempts since the 2013-14 season, when they shot 43 against Pacific at home (1/18/14). The Gaels started off red-hot from the stripe, connecting on 18 of their first 21, but shot just 9-16 in the second half, before rebounding to close things out with a 7-9 performance in overtime. Paulius Murauskas was the most frequent visitor to the free throw line, shooting 8-11 after drawing nine UTSA fouls. Augustas Marciulionis was not far behind going 8-10. Off the bench, Ashton Hardaway and Harry Wessels combined to go a perfect 6-6.
SAXEN TO THE TOP-10 FOR A THIRD TIME
Mitchell Saxen needed just six rebounds to get to the top-10 in program history in rebounding. He more than doubled that, with 13 tonight, bringing him to 719 for his career, surpassing LaRoy Doss '59 for tenth all-time. Saxen now ranks in the top-10 in rebounds, blocks (5th, 123) and blocks per game (5th, 0.95), and is one game played shy of joining the top-10 in that category with 131.
POSTGAME CHATS
UP NEXT
The Gaels will hit the road to Salt Lake City for their only true road contest of the non-conference slate, squaring off with the University of Utah. Tip-off is set for 4 PM PST on December 7.
DON'T MISS OUT ON HOME MEN'S BASKETBALL ACTION. TICKETS ARE ON SALE HERE.
#GaelsRise
Team Stats
UTSA
SMC
FG%
.357
.407
3FG%
.321
.143
FT%
.789
.721
RB
46
46
TO
17
15
STL
9
10
Game Leaders
Pts
23
FGM
7
3FGM
1
FTM
8
Pts
15
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Pts
12
FGM
2
3FGM
0
FTM
8
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
4
Players Mentioned
G/F
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballC
/ Men's BasketballC
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