Photo by: SMC Athletics / Piper Westrom
Kroner's Corner Season 2: What We Learned from Feast Week
12/3/2025 4:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
One week ended in major disappointment, the next began with encouraging news.
Such was the recent past for Randy Bennett's Saint Mary's Gaels. Last Friday, they got overwhelmed by Vanderbilt 96-71 in the championship game of the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in the Bahamas.
Then on Monday, the first day that the NCAA posted its NET rankings, SMC was listed at No. 29. That's a testament to the Gaels winning their first eight games (though the 96-42 rout of Division II UC Merced does not count) and simply playing the Commodores, who were the No. 4 team in the debut NET.
On Tuesday, SMC's NET ranking improved to No. 27. That surely heartened Bennett and his team, but he was not in a mincing-words mood after Friday's loss.
He credited the Commodores for how well they played and how good they are but also pointed out the Gaels' deficiencies.
"I just thought we got exposed in every area, which should not happen – but it did," Bennett said. "In the areas I think really matter the most – taking care of the ball is the first thing, transition D and defending the 3 and rebounding – I think we went 0-for-4 on those."
The Gaels committed 16 turnovers, which Vandy converted into 20 points. The Commodores had 22 fast-break points, went 8-for-19 (42.1%) from beyond the arc and owned a 34-30 edge on the glass.
Even as the Gaels were going 8-0, Bennett had been concerned about their relatively high number of turnovers. They're committing 12.2 per game. By comparison, their opponents are committing 11.3.
SMC's 3-point defense and rebounding had been strong before the Vanderbilt game. Even after their poor performance Friday, the Gaels are holding the opposition to 28.2% from long range and are averaging a plus-10.8 rebounding margin.
They clearly did some good things in the Battle 4 Atlantis, most notably beating Wichita State 70-65 and Virginia Tech 77-66. The Shockers had been 4-1 and the Hokies 6-0 before their respective losses to SMC.
Saint Mary's forward Paulius Murauskas was named the WCC's Player of the Week for his work in the Bahamas. The junior from Lithuania scored 20, 19 and 24 points in the three games. As of Tuesday morning, he was leading the conference in scoring at 19.2 points per game.
Bennett believes the Gaels will benefit from their experience in the Battle 4 Atlantis. "It was a great tournament to be in, at the right time," he said. "We have to go back to the drawing board and get better, and that's what we've always done."
Scouting Davidson: Saint Mary's next plays at Davidson on Sunday. The Wildcats were 6-1 heading into their home game against the Citadel on Thursday.
Davidson, which was No. 87 in the NET as of Tuesday, has a home win over Washington State (85-69) and a neutral-site victory over Boston College (59-49). The Wildcats' lone loss came in a 94-60 decision to Utah State in Charleston, S.C., on Nov. 23.
Through Monday, guard Nick Koval was 24-for-24 from the foul line. He was tied with two players for the most free-throw tries without a miss in the nation this season.
SMC has prevailed in its two meetings with Davidson. On Nov. 24, 2023, Alex Ducas went 7-for-11 from beyond the arc en route to 23 points in the Gaels' 89-55 romp at UCU Pavilion. And on March 23, 2009, in the second round of the NIT, Patty Mills had 23 points and 10 assists as the Gaels rolled 80-68.
Davidson guard Stephen Curry led all scorers with 26 points. That was the final college game for Curry, who has done fairly well in his NBA career with the Warriors.
Notes: Through Monday, SMC guards Joshua Dent (36-for-37, 97.3%) and Mikey Lewis (30-for-31, 96.8%) ranked first and second in the WCC in free-throw percentage. … Lewis was atop the conference in 3-point percentage at 49.0 (25-for-51). … Forward Kevin Gad missed the Gaels' last two games in the Bahamas because of a shoulder injury.
Steve Kroner has covered Bay Area sports for more than four decades, mainly at KPIX-TV (Channel 5) and the San Francisco Chronicle. He is in his second season working as an analyst alongside Brian Brownfield on SMC men's basketball telecasts on ESPN+.
Such was the recent past for Randy Bennett's Saint Mary's Gaels. Last Friday, they got overwhelmed by Vanderbilt 96-71 in the championship game of the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in the Bahamas.
Then on Monday, the first day that the NCAA posted its NET rankings, SMC was listed at No. 29. That's a testament to the Gaels winning their first eight games (though the 96-42 rout of Division II UC Merced does not count) and simply playing the Commodores, who were the No. 4 team in the debut NET.
On Tuesday, SMC's NET ranking improved to No. 27. That surely heartened Bennett and his team, but he was not in a mincing-words mood after Friday's loss.
He credited the Commodores for how well they played and how good they are but also pointed out the Gaels' deficiencies.
"I just thought we got exposed in every area, which should not happen – but it did," Bennett said. "In the areas I think really matter the most – taking care of the ball is the first thing, transition D and defending the 3 and rebounding – I think we went 0-for-4 on those."
The Gaels committed 16 turnovers, which Vandy converted into 20 points. The Commodores had 22 fast-break points, went 8-for-19 (42.1%) from beyond the arc and owned a 34-30 edge on the glass.
Even as the Gaels were going 8-0, Bennett had been concerned about their relatively high number of turnovers. They're committing 12.2 per game. By comparison, their opponents are committing 11.3.
SMC's 3-point defense and rebounding had been strong before the Vanderbilt game. Even after their poor performance Friday, the Gaels are holding the opposition to 28.2% from long range and are averaging a plus-10.8 rebounding margin.
They clearly did some good things in the Battle 4 Atlantis, most notably beating Wichita State 70-65 and Virginia Tech 77-66. The Shockers had been 4-1 and the Hokies 6-0 before their respective losses to SMC.
Saint Mary's forward Paulius Murauskas was named the WCC's Player of the Week for his work in the Bahamas. The junior from Lithuania scored 20, 19 and 24 points in the three games. As of Tuesday morning, he was leading the conference in scoring at 19.2 points per game.
Bennett believes the Gaels will benefit from their experience in the Battle 4 Atlantis. "It was a great tournament to be in, at the right time," he said. "We have to go back to the drawing board and get better, and that's what we've always done."
Scouting Davidson: Saint Mary's next plays at Davidson on Sunday. The Wildcats were 6-1 heading into their home game against the Citadel on Thursday.
Davidson, which was No. 87 in the NET as of Tuesday, has a home win over Washington State (85-69) and a neutral-site victory over Boston College (59-49). The Wildcats' lone loss came in a 94-60 decision to Utah State in Charleston, S.C., on Nov. 23.
Through Monday, guard Nick Koval was 24-for-24 from the foul line. He was tied with two players for the most free-throw tries without a miss in the nation this season.
SMC has prevailed in its two meetings with Davidson. On Nov. 24, 2023, Alex Ducas went 7-for-11 from beyond the arc en route to 23 points in the Gaels' 89-55 romp at UCU Pavilion. And on March 23, 2009, in the second round of the NIT, Patty Mills had 23 points and 10 assists as the Gaels rolled 80-68.
Davidson guard Stephen Curry led all scorers with 26 points. That was the final college game for Curry, who has done fairly well in his NBA career with the Warriors.
Notes: Through Monday, SMC guards Joshua Dent (36-for-37, 97.3%) and Mikey Lewis (30-for-31, 96.8%) ranked first and second in the WCC in free-throw percentage. … Lewis was atop the conference in 3-point percentage at 49.0 (25-for-51). … Forward Kevin Gad missed the Gaels' last two games in the Bahamas because of a shoulder injury.
Steve Kroner has covered Bay Area sports for more than four decades, mainly at KPIX-TV (Channel 5) and the San Francisco Chronicle. He is in his second season working as an analyst alongside Brian Brownfield on SMC men's basketball telecasts on ESPN+.
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/ Men's BasketballMBB | Highlights vs. Vanderbilt, 11-28-25
Friday, November 28
MBB | Randy Bennett Postgame vs. Vanderbilt, 11-28-25, Presented by University Credit Union
Friday, November 28
MBB | Highlights vs. Virginia Tech, 11-27-25
Thursday, November 27
MBB | Randy Bennett and Andrew McKeever Postgame vs. Virginia Tech, 11-27-25, presented by University Credit Union
Thursday, November 27
