MBB | Shaw's Career-Night, Hawke's Dagger Cap Gaels WCC Opening Victory, 78-73 Over LMU

Sunday, December 28

Los Angeles, CA

4:00 PM

Saint Mary's College of California

12-2,1-0WCC

LMU

9-5,0-1WCC

Saint Mary's (CA)

LMU (CA)

Rory Hawke hit the game-winning shot with 3.4 seconds to go

MBB | Shaw's Career-Night, Hawke's Dagger Cap Gaels WCC Opening Victory, 78-73 Over LMU

12/28/2025 7:03:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

LOS ANGELES — On Sunday, Saint Mary's College men's basketball team showcased resilience with a thrilling 78-73 win over LMU at Albert Gersten Pavilion. The game was a nail-biter, featuring 15 ties and nine lead changes, but Saint Mary's pulled through with clutch shot after clutch shot down the stretch.

Key contributions came from Dillan Shaw stood out with a career-high 18 points, sinking four 3-pointers, two of which gave the Gaels leads in the second half. Joshua Dent added 14 points and five assists without a turnover. Paulius Murauskas was a force with 13 points and nine rebounds, just shy of a double-double, while Harry Wessels fortified the defense with two blocks.

HOW IT HAPPENED

LMU (9-5, 0-1 WCC) came out of the gates hot, taking an early 18-13 lead, but Saint Mary's (12-2, 1-0 WCC) responded with a 9-0 run, driven by the muscle of Andrew McKeever and Paulius Murauskas, and would not trail for the remainder of the half. The Lions remained steadfast and were able to knot things up at 33 all at the half. The Gaels asserted their presence on the interior, racking up 22 of their 33 points in the paint.

The Lions would take three separate leads in the second half, but were never able to pull ahead by more than two points, as the Gaels were able to respond to every momentous LMU bucket. With 2:25 remaining, the game was yet again tied at 65 all, but Saint Mary's would close out the game on a 13-8 run that featured a trio of massive triples from Joshua Dent, Dillan Shaw and Rory Hawke. Hawke's three game with just 3.4 seconds left in the game, breaking a 73 all tie, and paving the way to the Gaels 78-73 win.

RRRRRROOOOOORRRRRRYYYY for the lead with 3.4 to go!!!!#GaelsRise @WCChoops pic.twitter.com/URRsfVDH2M
— Saint Mary's Hoops (@saintmaryshoops) December 29, 2025

Game Notes:

- Shaw's homecoming to Southern California was marked by a standout performance, scoring 18 points and hitting 4-7 from beyond the arc.

- Rory Hawke's clutch shot with 3.4 seconds left broke a 73-73 tie, sealing the win.

- The backcourt duo of Dent and Lewis combined for 22 points and eight assists, without a single turnover.

- The Gaels shot 50% or better both from the field and from three-point range for the third time this season.

- Saint Mary's limited turnovers to a season-low six against the Lions.

- Both the Gaels 52.7% field goal percentage and 50% three point clip were the highest marks by any team against LMU.

- This victory marks the Gaels' fourth consecutive win in WCC openers.

THE FINAL WORD

Up next, Saint Mary's heads to Malibu to face Pepperdine on Tuesday, Dec. 30 at 6 p.m. at Firestone Fieldhouse.

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

#GaelsRise