MBB | Three and "D" Leads the Gaels to a 21 Point Win Over Portland

Friday, January 2

Moraga, CA

7:00 PM

Saint Mary's College of California

14-2,3-0WCC

Portland

7-9,0-3WCC

Portland

Saint Mary's (CA)

Josh Dent: 7 pts, 4 reb, 7 ast (ties career-high)

Photo by: Saint Mary's Athletics / Tod Fierner

MBB | Three and "D" Leads the Gaels to a 21 Point Win Over Portland

1/2/2026 10:37:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

MORAGA, Calif. — Saint Mary's College showcased their dominance with a commanding 78-57 win over Portland on Friday night at UCU Pavilion. The Gaels lit up the court with 10 three-pointers offensively, while running the Pilots off the line to the tune of a 2-19 perimeter shooting clip in the 21 point victory.

Paulius Murauskas was the star of the night, leading with 24 points, including three buckets from beyond the arc, and adding seven rebounds and five assists to just one turnover. Harry Wessels was a defensive powerhouse with 10 points and three blocks. Joshua Dent orchestrated the offense brilliantly, dishing out seven assists, scoring seven points, and grabbing four rebounds. Rory Hawke chipped in 11 points off the bench on 4-of-5 shooting (1-2 from three), showing his versatility both inside and beyond the arc.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Portland (7-9, 0-3 WCC) scored the first bucket of the game, but Saint Mary's (14-2, 3-0 WCC) responded with a 9-0 run, making sure that the Pilots would not see the lead again. Back-to-back buckets fro Paulius Murauskas and Rory Hawke would give the Gaels their first double-digit lead with 5:30 left in the first half, and would spark a 14-4 run to close out the half, pushing the lead out to 42-27 at the break.

Paulius Murauskas and Dillan Shaw knocked down back-to-back threes to open the half to give the Gaels a 21 point lead as they were off and running early in the second half. The lead would jump to as large as 26 twice in the frame, before eventually settling back at 21 when the final horn sounded.

Game Notes:

- Murauskas matched his season-highs with 24 points, three triples and five assists.

- The Gaels punished Portland's turnovers, converting nine into 17 points.

- Saint Mary's nailed double-digit triples for the fourth time this season, with Murauskas and Campbell each hitting three.

- Lewis reached the 500 career point milestone in his 51st game.

- The Gaels' perimeter defense limited Portland to a season-low 10.5% (2-19) from three-point range.

- This victory marked Saint Mary's 17th consecutive win over the Pilots.

THE FINAL WORD

Up next, the Gaels will host Seattle U at University Credit Union Pavilion in Moraga, California. Tip-off is set for Sunday, Jan. 4 at 5 p.m.

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

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