MORAGA, Calif. -- Sophomore Jordan Ross walked by a courtside interview of freshman Mikey Lewis following Saint Mary's 81-56 romp over LMU on Jan. 7.
 
"I don't like Jordan Ross at all," Lewis deadpanned, drawing a good laugh from Ross.
 
Yes, the two guards are close friends – and they've put more than a few smiles on the faces of Saint Mary's fans this season.
 
Ross starts in the backcourt alongside senior Augustas Marciulionis. Listed at 6-foot-3, 190 pounds, Ross is averaging 8.5 points and 3.3 assists per game after playing sparingly last season.
 
Lewis serves as the Gaels' sixth man. Listed at 6-3, 180, Lewis is averaging 9.8 points per game. He leads the team in 3-pointers (30) and 3-point field-goal percentage (39.5).
 
With a shooting stroke and ball rotation that Ross describes as "beautiful," Lewis scored in double digits in each of the Gaels' first four games, capped by a 23-point effort in a 77-74 win over Nebraska in Sioux Falls, S.D., on Nov. 17.
 
Lewis then went eight straight games without reaching double figures, capped by a scoreless night in a 73-68 victory over Merrimack on Dec. 19.
"I was really comfortable at the start of the season," Lewis said. "I felt like when teams started to get a scouting report on me, I wasn't uncomfortable, but I'm starting to find my groove again."
 
In the past four games, Lewis has averaged 13.2 points per game and has shot 50 percent from the floor.
 
"As a point guard who likes to get everyone involved," Ross said, Lewis "makes my job very easy. It's easy to pick up assists from him."
 
Ross has been a part of the same starting five with Marciulionis, forwards Luke Barrett and Paulius Murauskas and center Mitchell Saxen for all 18 games this season. Ross did not start in any game last season.
 
He points to his work in the Gaels' offseason program for boosting his performance, particularly on defense.
 
"The summers here at St. Mary's are crucial for development," Ross said. "I think I made a pretty big jump mentally (and) physically."
 
Though Ross is from Pleasant Grove, Utah, and went to Arizona Compass Prep and Lewis is from Oakland and went to Prolific Prep in Napa, their friendship predates their time in Moraga. They got to know each other on the AAU circuit.
 
"I think having great relationships off the court makes it (that) much better on the court," Ross said.
 
Ross and Lewis each hit four shots from beyond the arc in the Gaels' 103-56 rout at San Diego on Saturday night. Ross finished with 12 points and tied Marciulionis for the team high in assists with five. Lewis went 7-for-8 from the floor (including 4-for-5 from long range) and scored a game-high 18 points.  
 
That performance helped Lewis earn his second straight WCC Freshman of the Week honor and his third overall.
Lewis and Ross are "totally different players," Saint Mary's head coach Randy Bennett said. "Mikey gives us scoring. … Jordan gives us a second point guard.
 
"Augustas is more of a scoring (point guard) and Jordan Ross is learning to be that, which we want him to be."
 
Bennett often has employed a two-point-guard offense. For examples, think of Matthew Dellavedova and Mickey McConnell (2009-11), Emmett Naar and Joe Rahon (2015-17) and Jordan Ford and Tommy Kuhse (2018-20). Bennett particularly likes the dilemma opposing defenses face when the Gaels have two point guards adept at using on-ball screens.
 
"If you know the on-balls are coming to one guy all the time, it's a little easier (to guard) than when there's two of 'em," Bennett said. "You've got to have two guys that are good at defending those on-ball screens. That's hard to do."
 
McConnell, Rahon and E.J. Rowland, another former Saint Mary's point guard, are on Bennett's staff. They provide a been-there, done-that resource for Ross and Lewis.
 
"It means everything," Lewis said. He appreciates having coaches who've "been through it before, but not only been through it, but been through it here with the same coach in the same style of play."
 
Ross credits McConnell, the 2010-11 WCC Player of the Year, with helping him with his shooting. Ross said he has benefited from defensive lessons given by Rahon, the 2016-17 WCC Defensive Player of the Year.
 
Rowland, who played professionally for two decades and is in his first season on Bennett's staff, "has been amazing off the court with me," Ross said. "He's like a father."
 
Ross and Lewis clearly enjoy their time together -- and not only when they're wearing a Saint Mary's uniform.
 
"Off the court, it's all fun and games," Lewis said. "It's always joking, laughing."
 
Said Ross: "Mikey's real fun and young spirited off the court. It's always a good time when he's around.
"I would say in a sense, he's like that on the court. He has fun. He gets up and down. He's smiling and it's always a good time, but he definitely can turn that switch where" he's very serious.
 
Saint Mary's fans seriously can hope that the good times provided and enjoyed by Jordan Ross and Mikey Lewis last through March and beyond.

NOTE: Steve Kroner has covered Bay Area sports for more than four decades, mainly for KPIX-TV and the San Francisco Chronicle. He has begun working alongside Brian Brownfield on the Gaels' men's basketball telecasts on ESPN+.

Steve also will be providing stories for smcgaels.com.