Saturday, January 17
Santa Clara, CA
4:00 PM
Saint Mary's College of California
17-3,6-1WCC
54
at
62
Santa Clara
16-5,7-1WCC
1
2
F
Saint Mary's (CA)
25
29
54
Santa Clara
32
30
62
Paulius Murauskas: 12 pts, 10 reb, 4th double-double
Photo by: Don Jedlovec/Santa Clara Athletics
MBB | Gaels Drop Defensive Slugfest Against Santa Clara, 62-54
1/17/2026 6:56:00 PM | Men's Basketball
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — In a battle between two of the top three teams in the West Coast Conference, the Saint Mary's Gaels came up just short against the Santa Clara Broncos, falling 62-54 in the Leavey Center on Saturday night. The Gaels defense shined bright, but so too did the Broncos' in the low scoring affair.
Paulius Murauskas was the lone Gael to score in double figures, scoring 12 to go along with 10 boards for his fourth double-double of the year. Joshua Dent and Andrew McKeever both chipped in eight, with Dent adding five boards, three assists and three steals, and McKeever ripping down eight rebounds. Defensively, the Gaels held the Broncos to a season-low 62 points.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Half number one was a physical, grind-it-out, defensive 20 minutes of play. While the Saint Mary's offense was limited to just 25 points, their defense held the Broncos in check, as the Gaels trailed by just seven heading into the halftime break.
The Broncos came out of the gates hot in the second half, but the Gaels weathered the storm, and turned a 16 point deficit to just two points with just three minutes to go. Saint Mary's, unfortunately, couldn't land the knockout blow, ultimately falling 62-54.
GAME NOTES
The Gaels will return home to host Oregon State on Wednesday, January 21. Tip-off is set for 8 PM.
DON'T MISS OUT ON HOME MEN'S BASKETBALL ACTION. TICKETS ARE ON SALE HERE.
#GaelsRise
Paulius Murauskas was the lone Gael to score in double figures, scoring 12 to go along with 10 boards for his fourth double-double of the year. Joshua Dent and Andrew McKeever both chipped in eight, with Dent adding five boards, three assists and three steals, and McKeever ripping down eight rebounds. Defensively, the Gaels held the Broncos to a season-low 62 points.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Half number one was a physical, grind-it-out, defensive 20 minutes of play. While the Saint Mary's offense was limited to just 25 points, their defense held the Broncos in check, as the Gaels trailed by just seven heading into the halftime break.
The Broncos came out of the gates hot in the second half, but the Gaels weathered the storm, and turned a 16 point deficit to just two points with just three minutes to go. Saint Mary's, unfortunately, couldn't land the knockout blow, ultimately falling 62-54.
GAME NOTES
- Paulius Murauskas went for his fourth double-double of the year.
- The Gaels held Santa Clara to a season-low 62 points.
- Tony Duckett provided a huge spark off the bench, scoring seven and finishing +7 in today's +/-.
- Joshua Dent has now played 160 consecutive minutes.
The Gaels will return home to host Oregon State on Wednesday, January 21. Tip-off is set for 8 PM.
DON'T MISS OUT ON HOME MEN'S BASKETBALL ACTION. TICKETS ARE ON SALE HERE.
#GaelsRise
Team Stats
SMC
SCU
FG%
.316
.407
3FG%
.182
.214
FT%
.636
.750
RB
38
35
TO
13
10
STL
5
7
Game Leaders
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
3
Pts
8
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
1
Pts
8
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Pts
7
FGM
2
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballC
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's BasketballMBB | Saint Mary's at Santa Clara Highlights, 1-17-26
Saturday, January 17
MBB | Randy Bennett Postgame at San Francisco, 1-13-26, Presented by University Credit Union
Tuesday, January 13
MBB | Saint Mary's at San Francisco Highlights, 1-13-26
Tuesday, January 13
MBB | Josh Dent Postgame vs. Washington State, 1-10-26, Presented by University Credit Union
Saturday, January 10
