Saint Mary’s hosted their second conference game of the year, playing against the Pepperdine Waves. The Gaels entered the contest 11-3 on the season and 1-0 in conference play while the Waves entered 6-9 and 0-2 in conference play.
Although the Gaels are coming off a WCC championship and March Madness appearance, the game wasn’t easy. Pepperdine had played Santa Clara close on the road on Saturday, and almost took down Gonzaga on Monday at home. If Saint Mary’s wanted to make a statement, it wouldn’t be easy, and they would have to go through the duo of Stefan Todorovic and Moe Odum.
Saint Mary’s got off to an early 12-5 lead, including an early 7 points from Paulius Murauskas. Although the Waves brought it back to three, it looked like the Gaels were then shot out of a cannon.
The Gaels went on a 10-0 run, and never looked back. By halftime, they had taken a considerable 35-20 lead.
Going into the second half, things weren’t changing at all. Stellar play from Luke Barrett continued their lead throughout the second half.
Late in the contest, Mikey Lewis hit two late threes to seal the win, and the Gaels were rolling.
In the final two minutes of the game, some of the bench players checked into the game, including Cade Bennett, head coach Randy Bennett’s son. Bennett was able to catch a defender off-guard with a pump fake, and was able to turn it into a floater that dropped through the net.
The final score was 71-41, Saint Mary’s.
Leading the points column for the Gaels was Luke Barrett once again. His third best scoring night of the season came on Thursday, where he put up 16 points, as well as 8 rebounds and 2 steals.
Paulius Murauskas and Mitchell Saxen were great inside, finishing with a combined 19 points, 23 rebounds, and 6 assists from the big men.
Mikey Lewis and Jordan Ross were incredible on the outside as well, combining for 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 11 assists.
Defensively, holding the Waves to just 41 was the best stat of the night. Pepperdine had put up 82 points against Gonzaga on Monday, and was able to get just half of it in Moraga. This was the lowest point total that Pepperdine has had in years, dating back to 2012, when they also lost to the Gaels.
All night, vibes were high in Moraga, and things were going great, as the Gaels started to look like a March Madness team once again.