Wednesday, November 19
Moraga, CA
7:00 PM
Saint Mary's College of California
5-0,0-0WCC
85
vs
72
Arkansas State
3-2,0-0Sun Belt
1
2
F
Arkansas St.
39
33
72
Saint Mary's (CA)
47
38
85
Andrew McKeever: 16 pts (ties career-high), 17 reb (career-high), 1st career double-double
Photo by: Saint Mary's Athletics / Tod Fierner
MBB | Gaels Outlast Pesky Arkansas State Squad for 13 Point Victory
11/19/2025 11:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
MORAGA, Calif. — Saint Mary's (5-0) logged another double-digit victory, their fifth straight to start the season, defeating Arkansas State (3-2) 85-72, but the Red Wolves did something that no other Gael opponent had done this season; keep the game within a single digit margin for a good chunk of the second half. While the pesky Red Wolves were able to curtail long scoring runs for the Gaels with their quick strike ability offensively, the Gaels were able to eventually wear them down, leading by double digits for the final 9:34 of the game en route to the 13 point victory.
The first half was full of offensive fireworks on both sides from the opening tip, as Arkansas State drained a triple on the opening possession, but the Gaels responded with a 6-0 run of their own to push ahead early. Saint Mary's would balloon that lead up to eight at 21-13 following back to back threes from Mikey Lewis and Joshua Dent, but the Red Wolves responded with a 9-0 run over the next three minutes to regain the lead at 22-21. As he so often does, Mikey Lewis would remove the lid from the Gaels bucket with a layup to push them back ahead 23-22, and they would not relinquish the lead for the remainder of the half. That Lewis layup would spark a 25-11 run that would push Saint Mary's to their largest lead of the half at 46-33, but a three and a three point play from the Red Wolves would bring the deficit to eight at the halftime horn, 47-39. Paulius Murauskas led a trio of double-digit scorers in the half for the Gaels, with 12, while Mikey Lewis and Andrew McKeever each added 10. McKeever also added 11 first half rebounds for his first collegiate double-double, doing so in a single half, while also rejecting three Red Wolves shots. Lewis and Joshua Dent finished the half with a team-high four assists each, while combining for just one turnover. The Gaels continued to knock down shots at an astonishing rate, shooting 53% from the field and 50% from three in the frame.
Both offenses cooled off a bit in the second half, as both defenses were able to reflect and improve from their play in the first. Arkansas State threw the first punch of the frame with an 8-3 run out of the gate to cut the deficit to just three, but Liam Campbell and Mikey Lewis generated eight straight points of their own to restore the lead to double digits. The Red Wolves continued to keep at or near that ten point margin until Paulius Murauskas put the nail in the coffin, generating an 8-0 run on his own over a stretch of just under 2:30 to push Saint Mary's ahead by 18 with 5:47 to play. The Red Wolves never fell out of the fight, getting the score back to as close to 11, before ultimately falling by 13. Paulius Murauskas continued his high level of offensive production in the second half, adding another 12 in the frame, and leading the team with seven boards. While they only took four attempts from beyond the arc, the Gaels continued to knock down shots from distance at a 50% clip, with Mikey Lewis and Liam Campbell each burying a three pointer to each notch seven points. After struggling from the stripe in the first half, converting on just nine of their 14 free throw attempts, the Gaels found their way to the line more, and were much more efficient in the second half, converting on 16 of 19 attempts.
Paulius Murauskas led all scorers with 24 points, and came up just one rebound shy of a double-double. The scoring output was the highest this season for Murauskas, and were the most since his 30 point game on Lithuania Night against Washington State on 2/15/25. Mikey Lewis chipped in 17, continuing to bury threes at an incredible rate, knocking down 3-5, to go along with five boards and a career-high six assists (one turnover). Andrew McKeever stuffed the statsheet, matching his career-high with 16 points, rejected a career-high five shots, while ripping down a career-best 17 boards, the most rebounds by a Gael since Jock Landale ripped down 19 against Pepperdine in the 2018 WCC Tournament. Defending WCC Freshman of the Week Liam Campbell rounded out the double-digit scoring, going for 15 on a highly efficient 5-7 from the field and 3-4 from three. The Gaels shot 50% from three, making it the third game this season in which they have shot 50% or better from beyond the arc, something they did just once all of last season. A testament to their physicality, the Gaels got to the free throw line 33 times tonight, and for the fifth time in five tries this season, shot better than 75%, converting 25 of those 33 attempts.
A MASSIVE STATLINE FOR A MASSIVE MAN
Standing at 7-3, Andrew McKeever has put up some stellar rebounding totals this young season, but only broke into double-digit scoring once this year, against Chattanooga. Tonight, not only did McKeever continue to dominate on the glass, going for a career-high 17 boards, including half of the Gaels 12 team offensive boards, but he also got the scoring going, matching his high of 16 points from 11/7's matchup with Chattanooga. McKeever scored his 16 on just nine field goal attempts, but was a magnet for fouls, drawing seven in the game. The big man showed that free throw shooting has been something that he has worked hard on, as he buried 8-12 attempts tonight. To put that into perspective, McKeever went 4-13 from the stripe all of last season, but doubled his makes on one fewer attempt tonight. As if the scoring and rebounding weren't enough, McKeever also more than doubled his previous career-high for blocked shots, rejecting five Red Wolves layup attempts. McKeever became the first Gaels since Jordan Hunter in 2019 to record five blocks in a game, and recorded the most rebounds in a game by a Gael since Jock Landale's 19 in 2018. This was his first career double-double.
A BEVVY OF OTHER CAREER-HIGHS
While Andrew McKeever's highs have been well documented, he was not the only Gael to reach career marks tonight. Point guard Joshua Dent matched his career-high with seven assists, while his backcourt mate Mikey Lewis set a new career-high with six dimes. Playing a career-high 33 minutes, Liam Campbell matched his career best of three made threes for the third consecutive game. Defensively, Paulius Murauskas joined McKeever as a member of the "Swat team" with a career-high two rejections, as the Gaels logged a season-best seven as a team.
COACHES CORNER
UP NEXT
The Gaels will welcome in NCAA Division II opponent UC Merced on Saturday, November 22. Tip off is set for 7:30 PM.
DON'T MISS OUT ON HOME MEN'S BASKETBALL ACTION. TICKETS ARE ON SALE HERE.
#GaelsRise
The first half was full of offensive fireworks on both sides from the opening tip, as Arkansas State drained a triple on the opening possession, but the Gaels responded with a 6-0 run of their own to push ahead early. Saint Mary's would balloon that lead up to eight at 21-13 following back to back threes from Mikey Lewis and Joshua Dent, but the Red Wolves responded with a 9-0 run over the next three minutes to regain the lead at 22-21. As he so often does, Mikey Lewis would remove the lid from the Gaels bucket with a layup to push them back ahead 23-22, and they would not relinquish the lead for the remainder of the half. That Lewis layup would spark a 25-11 run that would push Saint Mary's to their largest lead of the half at 46-33, but a three and a three point play from the Red Wolves would bring the deficit to eight at the halftime horn, 47-39. Paulius Murauskas led a trio of double-digit scorers in the half for the Gaels, with 12, while Mikey Lewis and Andrew McKeever each added 10. McKeever also added 11 first half rebounds for his first collegiate double-double, doing so in a single half, while also rejecting three Red Wolves shots. Lewis and Joshua Dent finished the half with a team-high four assists each, while combining for just one turnover. The Gaels continued to knock down shots at an astonishing rate, shooting 53% from the field and 50% from three in the frame.
Tonight's first bucket belongs to Paulius Murauskas 🙂↕️#GaelsRise pic.twitter.com/1z6MuOvTPT
— Saint Mary's Hoops (@saintmaryshoops) November 20, 2025
Just passin' through 😁#GaelsRise pic.twitter.com/O0jeCLvqJ6
— Saint Mary's Hoops (@saintmaryshoops) November 20, 2025
Mikey Lewis for 3⃣#GaelsRise pic.twitter.com/9MVok0h99w
— Saint Mary's Hoops (@saintmaryshoops) November 20, 2025
Mikey Lewis takes it by himself 🙂↕️#GaelsRise pic.twitter.com/g1SiBfgNys
— Saint Mary's Hoops (@saintmaryshoops) November 20, 2025
Teamwork makes the dream work 😅#GaelsRise pic.twitter.com/AmRDGOnC6z
— Saint Mary's Hoops (@saintmaryshoops) November 20, 2025
Both offenses cooled off a bit in the second half, as both defenses were able to reflect and improve from their play in the first. Arkansas State threw the first punch of the frame with an 8-3 run out of the gate to cut the deficit to just three, but Liam Campbell and Mikey Lewis generated eight straight points of their own to restore the lead to double digits. The Red Wolves continued to keep at or near that ten point margin until Paulius Murauskas put the nail in the coffin, generating an 8-0 run on his own over a stretch of just under 2:30 to push Saint Mary's ahead by 18 with 5:47 to play. The Red Wolves never fell out of the fight, getting the score back to as close to 11, before ultimately falling by 13. Paulius Murauskas continued his high level of offensive production in the second half, adding another 12 in the frame, and leading the team with seven boards. While they only took four attempts from beyond the arc, the Gaels continued to knock down shots from distance at a 50% clip, with Mikey Lewis and Liam Campbell each burying a three pointer to each notch seven points. After struggling from the stripe in the first half, converting on just nine of their 14 free throw attempts, the Gaels found their way to the line more, and were much more efficient in the second half, converting on 16 of 19 attempts.
Paulius starting the second half strong 💪#GaelsRise pic.twitter.com/JrSFlxEPAe
— Saint Mary's Hoops (@saintmaryshoops) November 20, 2025
Mikey Lewis AND 1 🗣️#GaelsRise pic.twitter.com/1GIFJa9nBV
— Saint Mary's Hoops (@saintmaryshoops) November 20, 2025
Don't leave Liam open 🚫#GaelsRise pic.twitter.com/YssKrU7V5o
— Saint Mary's Hoops (@saintmaryshoops) November 20, 2025
Paulius throwin' it DOWN#GaelsRise pic.twitter.com/NfFICc80i3
— Saint Mary's Hoops (@saintmaryshoops) November 20, 2025
Paulius Murauskas led all scorers with 24 points, and came up just one rebound shy of a double-double. The scoring output was the highest this season for Murauskas, and were the most since his 30 point game on Lithuania Night against Washington State on 2/15/25. Mikey Lewis chipped in 17, continuing to bury threes at an incredible rate, knocking down 3-5, to go along with five boards and a career-high six assists (one turnover). Andrew McKeever stuffed the statsheet, matching his career-high with 16 points, rejected a career-high five shots, while ripping down a career-best 17 boards, the most rebounds by a Gael since Jock Landale ripped down 19 against Pepperdine in the 2018 WCC Tournament. Defending WCC Freshman of the Week Liam Campbell rounded out the double-digit scoring, going for 15 on a highly efficient 5-7 from the field and 3-4 from three. The Gaels shot 50% from three, making it the third game this season in which they have shot 50% or better from beyond the arc, something they did just once all of last season. A testament to their physicality, the Gaels got to the free throw line 33 times tonight, and for the fifth time in five tries this season, shot better than 75%, converting 25 of those 33 attempts.
A MASSIVE STATLINE FOR A MASSIVE MAN
Standing at 7-3, Andrew McKeever has put up some stellar rebounding totals this young season, but only broke into double-digit scoring once this year, against Chattanooga. Tonight, not only did McKeever continue to dominate on the glass, going for a career-high 17 boards, including half of the Gaels 12 team offensive boards, but he also got the scoring going, matching his high of 16 points from 11/7's matchup with Chattanooga. McKeever scored his 16 on just nine field goal attempts, but was a magnet for fouls, drawing seven in the game. The big man showed that free throw shooting has been something that he has worked hard on, as he buried 8-12 attempts tonight. To put that into perspective, McKeever went 4-13 from the stripe all of last season, but doubled his makes on one fewer attempt tonight. As if the scoring and rebounding weren't enough, McKeever also more than doubled his previous career-high for blocked shots, rejecting five Red Wolves layup attempts. McKeever became the first Gaels since Jordan Hunter in 2019 to record five blocks in a game, and recorded the most rebounds in a game by a Gael since Jock Landale's 19 in 2018. This was his first career double-double.
The Gael Block Party is starting early tonight 🥳#GaelsRise pic.twitter.com/PcMKlYMz5c
— Saint Mary's Hoops (@saintmaryshoops) November 20, 2025
Andrew McKeever already has THREE blocks tonight 🤯#GaelsRise pic.twitter.com/ptb87fnM82
— Saint Mary's Hoops (@saintmaryshoops) November 20, 2025
McKeever with the DUNK 😤#GaelsRise pic.twitter.com/SOGKESHdTm
— Saint Mary's Hoops (@saintmaryshoops) November 20, 2025
A BEVVY OF OTHER CAREER-HIGHS
While Andrew McKeever's highs have been well documented, he was not the only Gael to reach career marks tonight. Point guard Joshua Dent matched his career-high with seven assists, while his backcourt mate Mikey Lewis set a new career-high with six dimes. Playing a career-high 33 minutes, Liam Campbell matched his career best of three made threes for the third consecutive game. Defensively, Paulius Murauskas joined McKeever as a member of the "Swat team" with a career-high two rejections, as the Gaels logged a season-best seven as a team.
COACHES CORNER
UP NEXT
The Gaels will welcome in NCAA Division II opponent UC Merced on Saturday, November 22. Tip off is set for 7:30 PM.
DON'T MISS OUT ON HOME MEN'S BASKETBALL ACTION. TICKETS ARE ON SALE HERE.
#GaelsRise
Team Stats
ASU
SMC
FG%
.377
.491
3FG%
.310
.500
FT%
.846
.758
RB
35
40
TO
10
13
STL
8
6
Game Leaders
Pts
24
FGM
8
3FGM
0
FTM
8
Pts
17
FGM
6
3FGM
3
FTM
2
Pts
16
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
8
Pts
15
FGM
5
3FGM
3
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballC
/ Men's BasketballF
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