Thursday, November 27
Paradise Island, Bahamas
11:30 AM
Saint Mary's College of California
8-0,0-0WCC
77
vs
66
Virginia Tech
6-1,0-0ACC
1
2
F
Saint Mary's (CA)
31
46
77
Virginia Tech
20
46
66
Rory Hawke: 10 pts, 4-5 FG, 1 stl, 1st Collegiate Start
Photo by: Jonathan Lesane
MBB | Gaels Defeat Hokies in Battle of Unbeatens, Move onto Battle 4 Atlantis Championship Game vs. Vanderbilt
11/27/2025 3:49:00 PM | Men's Basketball
PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas — For the first time since the opening week of the season, the Saint Mary's Gaels (8-0) got a chance to square off with another unbeaten team, as the Virginia Tech Hokies (6-1) also won their opening round contest of the Battle 4 Atlantis, and put their perfect record on the line again in the tournament semifinals against the Gaels. That said, it was the Gaels who looked the part of the far superior team, despite the little that separated them on paper, never trailing en route to their seventh double-digit victory in eight tries. Now at 8-0, the Gaels are off to their best start since the 2013-14 campaign, when they won nine straight.
The Gaels completely bottled up Virginia Tech from the get go, getting stops on each of the first six Hokies possessions, en route to an early 8-0 lead. Saint Mary's would not relinquish the lead in the half, building it to as large as 12 points before eventually settling for an 11 points lead, 31-20, at the break. The offense for the Gaels was all about the inside-out, as they scored 14 of their first 16 points in the paint, but then would bury three threes over the final 8:35 of the frame. Two of those three threes belonged to Dillan Shaw, as the freshman led all Gaels with eight points on 3-4 shooting from the field and a perfect 2-2 clip from beyond the arc. Andrew McKeever added six points on 3-5 shooting, while blocking two shots and altering countless others, helping the Gaels hold the Hokies to just a 21.2% field goal shooting percentage for the half. Paulius Murauskas, who scored 20 in the Battle 4 Atlantis opener against Wichita State, was limited to just four points, but ripped down a team-best six boards, helping the Gaels to a +7 advantage on the glass.
While Virginia Tech started to knock down their three point shots in the second half, the Gaels continued to impose their will on the interior, and with the double digit cushion they built in the first half, were able to salt away the victory by an 11 point margin, the same lead they took into the break. The Hokies were never able to get the game back to within one score, only cutting it to as close as four points, but with every Virginia Tech made shot, there seemed to be an answer on the other end of the court for the Gaels. The Hokies came out of the gates swinging in the second half, going on a 16-7 run over the first 6:30 of the frame, but back-to-back three point plays from Joshua Dent and Paulius Murauskas would surge the lead back up to eight, and gave the Gaels the cushion they would need to carry the contest across the finish line. Just like last night, Paulius Murauskas kicked his game up a notch in the second half, scoring 15 of his team-high 19 in the second stanza. Murauskas shot 5-10 from the field in the half, 2-5 from three and 3-3 from the stripe, demonstrating his versatility as a dynamic scorer. Joshua Dent went for 11 in the second half, while dishing out five assists, and getting his hands in to disrupt a pair of shots. Andrew McKeever and Rory Hawks rounded out the group of major second half contributors with eight and six points respectively, with the former adding six rebounds, and the latter going 2-2 from the field and 2-2 from the stripe.
For the second time in as many days, Paulius Murauskas led the Gaels offensive efforts, with 19 points to go along with seven rebounds, two blocks and a steal. Murauskas has now scored 39 points over the first two games of the Battle 4 Atlantis, and is averaging 20.3 points per contest over his last four games. Joshua Dent and Andrew McKeever each added 14, with Dent dishing out a team-high six assists and rejecting a career-high two shots, while McKeever continued to impose his will with eight boards and two blocked shots. Rounding out the double-digit scorers was Rory Hawke, making his first collegiate start, and scoring 10 on 4-5 shooting. Offensively, the Gaels flexed their muscle in the paint, scoring 38 of their 77 in the key, leading to a 51.9% shooting clip. Defensively, the Gaels limited the Hokies to season-lows in field goal percentage (30.9%) and three point percentage (23.3%), the length of Saint Mary's really flustered Virginia Tech from start to finish.
A-MACK ATTACK
Entering the Battle 4 Atlantis, there was no question that Andrew McKeever was an elite rebounder. Through the first six contests of the year, the redshirt sophomore out of Livermore was averaging 10.5 boards per game, including 4.7 offensive. He had, however, struggled to score the rock at times, only reaching double-figures twice in those first six games. That concern has seemingly been erased through the first two games in the Bahamas, as the 7-3 big man has scored 27 in those first two contests, and has been very efficient, converting on 13 of 20 field goal attempts. McKeever has also continued to dominate on the glass, with 23 rebounds in the two games, and has made life tough on teams trying to score on the interior, with four blocked shots, and many others altered.
OWNING THE PAINT ON BOTH ENDS
The story of today's game was told inside the 19x12 foot painted rectangles on either side of the court, better known as the key. Offensively, nearly half of Saint Mary's points (38 of 77) were scored in the paint, as they connected on 76.1% (16-21) of their layup and dunk attempts. Meanwhile, Virginia Tech couldn't get anything going in the paint, converting on just 44% (8-18) of their layup attempts, and having six shots blocked by the lanky Gaels. This forced the Hokies to try and win the game from beyond the arc, but the Gaels stymying defense also shined there, very seldom giving VT a clean look at three, holding them to a season-low 23.3% (7-30) from deep.
CHAMPIONSHIP BOUND
The Gaels will take on No. 24/23 Vanderbilt for the Battle 4 Atlantis Championship game tomorrow, in a rematch of last year's 7-10 Round of 64 matchup in the East Region of the NCAA Tournament. Like the Gaels, Vandy is unbeaten on the young campaign. While this will be the second time in as many years that the Gaels are in an MTE title game, they have not won an MTE title since 2009, when they hosted and one the Shamrock Office Solutions Classic, defeating Binghamton and Howard.
UP NEXT
Another unbeaten team awaits the Gaels, and it's a familiar one, as No. 24/23 Vanderbilt will be the final hurdle the Gaels will need to clear to be crowned Champions of the Battle 4 Atlantis. Tip off between the Gaels and Commodores is set for 1 PM EST / 10 AM PST tomorrow.
DON'T MISS OUT ON HOME MEN'S BASKETBALL ACTION. TICKETS ARE ON SALE HERE.
#GaelsRise
The Gaels completely bottled up Virginia Tech from the get go, getting stops on each of the first six Hokies possessions, en route to an early 8-0 lead. Saint Mary's would not relinquish the lead in the half, building it to as large as 12 points before eventually settling for an 11 points lead, 31-20, at the break. The offense for the Gaels was all about the inside-out, as they scored 14 of their first 16 points in the paint, but then would bury three threes over the final 8:35 of the frame. Two of those three threes belonged to Dillan Shaw, as the freshman led all Gaels with eight points on 3-4 shooting from the field and a perfect 2-2 clip from beyond the arc. Andrew McKeever added six points on 3-5 shooting, while blocking two shots and altering countless others, helping the Gaels hold the Hokies to just a 21.2% field goal shooting percentage for the half. Paulius Murauskas, who scored 20 in the Battle 4 Atlantis opener against Wichita State, was limited to just four points, but ripped down a team-best six boards, helping the Gaels to a +7 advantage on the glass.
McKeever putback score to open things up! Andrew McKeever was built for the Bahamas!#GaelsRise @WCChoops @WCCsports pic.twitter.com/1cg6ApLuc8
— Saint Mary's Hoops (@saintmaryshoops) November 27, 2025
Paulius Murauskas says "nulipk nuo manęs"! That's Lithuanian for GET OFF OF ME! Gaels up 10-2 in the early going!#GaelsRise @WCChoops @WCCsports pic.twitter.com/W79e6E4w2e
— Saint Mary's Hoops (@saintmaryshoops) November 27, 2025
A-Mack gives the Gaels their first double-digit lead at 12-2! He has half of the SMC points!#GaelsRise @WCChoops @WCCsports pic.twitter.com/OILQl8pIKa
— Saint Mary's Hoops (@saintmaryshoops) November 27, 2025
Andrew McKeever with the rejection, and Dillan Shaw with the triple on the other end! #GaelsRise @WCChoops @WCCsports pic.twitter.com/8eXbj0MdZl
— Saint Mary's Hoops (@saintmaryshoops) November 27, 2025
Mikey find Dillan for another three, and the Gaels have their largest lead of the tournament at 12 points, 26-14!#GaelsRise @WCChoops @WCCsports pic.twitter.com/cHSAwDFj8F
— Saint Mary's Hoops (@saintmaryshoops) November 27, 2025
While Virginia Tech started to knock down their three point shots in the second half, the Gaels continued to impose their will on the interior, and with the double digit cushion they built in the first half, were able to salt away the victory by an 11 point margin, the same lead they took into the break. The Hokies were never able to get the game back to within one score, only cutting it to as close as four points, but with every Virginia Tech made shot, there seemed to be an answer on the other end of the court for the Gaels. The Hokies came out of the gates swinging in the second half, going on a 16-7 run over the first 6:30 of the frame, but back-to-back three point plays from Joshua Dent and Paulius Murauskas would surge the lead back up to eight, and gave the Gaels the cushion they would need to carry the contest across the finish line. Just like last night, Paulius Murauskas kicked his game up a notch in the second half, scoring 15 of his team-high 19 in the second stanza. Murauskas shot 5-10 from the field in the half, 2-5 from three and 3-3 from the stripe, demonstrating his versatility as a dynamic scorer. Joshua Dent went for 11 in the second half, while dishing out five assists, and getting his hands in to disrupt a pair of shots. Andrew McKeever and Rory Hawks rounded out the group of major second half contributors with eight and six points respectively, with the former adding six rebounds, and the latter going 2-2 from the field and 2-2 from the stripe.
RORY STEAL, RORY SCORE!#GaelsRise @WCChoops @WCCsports pic.twitter.com/yIWaHBSlz0
— Saint Mary's Hoops (@saintmaryshoops) November 27, 2025
Joshua Dent steals momentum back for the Gaels with the hoop and the harm! 43-36 Gaels lead!#GaelsRise @WCChoops @WCCsports pic.twitter.com/gPKaJQklQe
— Saint Mary's Hoops (@saintmaryshoops) November 27, 2025
ANOTHER ONE! This time Paulius Murauskas scores through contact!#GaelsRise @WCChoops @WCCsports pic.twitter.com/CTJZlZXE9L
— Saint Mary's Hoops (@saintmaryshoops) November 27, 2025
It is Andrew McKeever's world, we're all just living in it!#GaelsRise @WCChoops @WCCsports pic.twitter.com/uXHpJLbojQ
— Saint Mary's Hoops (@saintmaryshoops) November 27, 2025
P FOR THREE! Paulius Murauskas puts the Gaels back up by 12 with less than 10 to play, 55-43!#GaelsRise @WCChoops @WCCsports pic.twitter.com/PnPCuzbGsX
— Saint Mary's Hoops (@saintmaryshoops) November 27, 2025
Josh Dent calls his own number, and drains the runner in the lane! He's got 10!#GaelsRise @WCChoops @WCCsports pic.twitter.com/icPw2ESBfR
— Saint Mary's Hoops (@saintmaryshoops) November 27, 2025
Paulius Murauskas generating a little 4-0 swing all by himself!#GaelsRise @WCChoops @WCCsports pic.twitter.com/quC8vSf2Sh
— Saint Mary's Hoops (@saintmaryshoops) November 27, 2025
Paulius Murauskas for THREE! Could that one be the dagger? 1:39 left, Gaels up 10!#GaelsRise @WCChoops @WCCsports pic.twitter.com/mhSkLzhygs
— Saint Mary's Hoops (@saintmaryshoops) November 27, 2025
GET UP RORY HAWKE 🗣️#GaelsRise pic.twitter.com/BolMHxQPwx
— Saint Mary's Hoops (@saintmaryshoops) November 27, 2025
For the second time in as many days, Paulius Murauskas led the Gaels offensive efforts, with 19 points to go along with seven rebounds, two blocks and a steal. Murauskas has now scored 39 points over the first two games of the Battle 4 Atlantis, and is averaging 20.3 points per contest over his last four games. Joshua Dent and Andrew McKeever each added 14, with Dent dishing out a team-high six assists and rejecting a career-high two shots, while McKeever continued to impose his will with eight boards and two blocked shots. Rounding out the double-digit scorers was Rory Hawke, making his first collegiate start, and scoring 10 on 4-5 shooting. Offensively, the Gaels flexed their muscle in the paint, scoring 38 of their 77 in the key, leading to a 51.9% shooting clip. Defensively, the Gaels limited the Hokies to season-lows in field goal percentage (30.9%) and three point percentage (23.3%), the length of Saint Mary's really flustered Virginia Tech from start to finish.
A-MACK ATTACK
Entering the Battle 4 Atlantis, there was no question that Andrew McKeever was an elite rebounder. Through the first six contests of the year, the redshirt sophomore out of Livermore was averaging 10.5 boards per game, including 4.7 offensive. He had, however, struggled to score the rock at times, only reaching double-figures twice in those first six games. That concern has seemingly been erased through the first two games in the Bahamas, as the 7-3 big man has scored 27 in those first two contests, and has been very efficient, converting on 13 of 20 field goal attempts. McKeever has also continued to dominate on the glass, with 23 rebounds in the two games, and has made life tough on teams trying to score on the interior, with four blocked shots, and many others altered.
OWNING THE PAINT ON BOTH ENDS
The story of today's game was told inside the 19x12 foot painted rectangles on either side of the court, better known as the key. Offensively, nearly half of Saint Mary's points (38 of 77) were scored in the paint, as they connected on 76.1% (16-21) of their layup and dunk attempts. Meanwhile, Virginia Tech couldn't get anything going in the paint, converting on just 44% (8-18) of their layup attempts, and having six shots blocked by the lanky Gaels. This forced the Hokies to try and win the game from beyond the arc, but the Gaels stymying defense also shined there, very seldom giving VT a clean look at three, holding them to a season-low 23.3% (7-30) from deep.
CHAMPIONSHIP BOUND
The Gaels will take on No. 24/23 Vanderbilt for the Battle 4 Atlantis Championship game tomorrow, in a rematch of last year's 7-10 Round of 64 matchup in the East Region of the NCAA Tournament. Like the Gaels, Vandy is unbeaten on the young campaign. While this will be the second time in as many years that the Gaels are in an MTE title game, they have not won an MTE title since 2009, when they hosted and one the Shamrock Office Solutions Classic, defeating Binghamton and Howard.
UP NEXT
Another unbeaten team awaits the Gaels, and it's a familiar one, as No. 24/23 Vanderbilt will be the final hurdle the Gaels will need to clear to be crowned Champions of the Battle 4 Atlantis. Tip off between the Gaels and Commodores is set for 1 PM EST / 10 AM PST tomorrow.
DON'T MISS OUT ON HOME MEN'S BASKETBALL ACTION. TICKETS ARE ON SALE HERE.
#GaelsRise
Team Stats
SMC
VT
FG%
.519
.309
3FG%
.353
.233
FT%
.789
.850
RB
39
34
TO
15
9
STL
4
9
Game Leaders
Pts
19
FGM
6
3FGM
2
FTM
5
Pts
14
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
6
Pts
14
FGM
7
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Pts
10
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballC
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's BasketballG/F
/ Men's BasketballMBB | Randy Bennett and Andrew McKeever Postgame vs. Virginia Tech, 11-27-25, presented by University Credit Union
Thursday, November 27
MBB | Highlights vs. Wichita State, 11-26-25
Wednesday, November 26
MBB | Randy Bennett Postgame Presser vs. Wichita State, 11-26-25, Presented by University Credit Union
Wednesday, November 26
MBB | Highlights vs. UC Merced, 11-22-25
Saturday, November 22
