Conference Champs Gaels Outlast Late Surge by LMU, Win 58–55

As they did last season, the LMU Lions (16–14, 8–10 West Coast Conference) threw everything they had at the Saint Mary’s Gaels (26–4, 16–1 WCC) on Thursday night. And for the second straight year, the Gaels outlasted the LMU storm, leaving Gersten Pavilion victorious, 58–55. With their 16th win in WCC play, the Gaels have tied the program record for most conference wins in a season. 

In the showdown in LA, Paulius Murauskas was the driving force for the Gaels and a bright spot in a game that was largely an offensive struggle. The only Gael in double figures, he scored 18 points on 50% shooting and a 7–7 clip from the charity stripe. Murauskas also led the team with 12 rebounds, including three offensive boards. This was the 12th double-double for Murauskas this year, tying him once again with Ryan Nembhard of Gonzaga for most double-doubles in the WCC.

Harry Wessels went for nine points and eight boards, while Augustas Marciulionis scored nine and a team-high three assists in 40 minutes of play. Luke Barrett also played a full 40 minutes on Thursday, continuing to lead the WCC—and rank among the top players in the country—in minutes played. Thursday also marked Mitchell Saxen's 151st game in a Gael uniform, which means he has surpassed former teammate Alex Ducas for most games ever played for Saint Mary's. The fifth-year senior out of Seattle didn’t see as much of the court as he’s accustomed to, fouling out with just 19 minutes of play, but he still made his impact felt: with four points on 2–3 shooting, seven rebounds, and a team-high three assists.

Multiple factors contributed to this being a tight one for the Gaels. They were outshot from the field, from three, from the charity stripe, and they lost the turnover battle. But Saint Mary’s finished +17 on the glass, +10 on the offensive glass, and +8 in second-chance scoring—the clear reason they were able to hold off the Lions.

The Gaels had already secured the WCC regular season title last Saturday night with a win over Gonzaga. On March 1, Saint Mary’s hosts Oregon State for their last game of the season. Then it’s on to the WCC Tournament in Las Vegas.

Blow for Blow

LMU threw the opening blow in Thursday’s slugfest, with a 15–8 run over the first 10 minutes and change. From that point on, though, the half was all Gaels. A 13–0 run enabled Saint Mary’s to flip the script and take a 21–15 lead, eventually extending it out to as large as seven with a minute to play in the first half. LMU knocked down a pair of free throws to send the game into the halftime break a little closer, with the Gaels ahead 24–19. 

Paulius Murauskas came two points shy of a first-half double-double, with eight points and 10 boards, while Mikey Lewis knocked down a pair of threes for six total points. Mitchell Saxen didn’t score in the first half, but he did rip down six boards and had a team-high three assists. The Gaels dominated on the glass to the tune of a +12 margin. 

Saint Mary’s kept their foot on the gas in the second half, extending their lead out to 43–31 with 11:30 minutes to go. At that point, LMU found their footing, shaving the deficit down to five points. A Luke Barrett three put the Gaels back up eight, but LMU kept attacking, three times getting within one bucket—but that’s where the margin was at the end of the game, and the Gaels held on to win 58–55. 

Paulius Murauskas added 10 second-half points, while Harry Wessels chipped in eight points and six boards. After six first-half turnovers, the Gaels cleaned up their act with just two second-half giveaways. 

Pure Dominance on the Boards

Saint Mary’s finished the night with 43 rebounds, their second-highest mark in a WCC contest this year, and with a +17 rebound margin, their third-highest total in a conference tilt. Leading the way was Paulius Murauskas with his 12 boards, as he continues to pace the WCC in rebounding. Three other Gaels tallied at least six boards: Harry Wessels ripped down eight, tying his career-high mark; Mitchell Saxen had seven in just 19 minutes of play due to foul trouble; and Luke Barrett had six in yet another signature gritty performance. 

The Gaels rank in the top 25 in the country in rebounding margin, rebounds per game, and offensive rebounds per game. The team will likely continue to climb in those ranks after Thursday night’s performance. 

Top 25 in the Nation

It’s not only on rebounding margin that the Gaels rank among the best teams in the country. At the beginning of this week, in the USA Today Coaches Poll, Saint Mary’s was voted No. 17 in the country. The Gaels also earned a spot in the Associated Press Top 25 Basketball Poll this week, ranking No. 23 in the nation.

Crunch the stats, and Saint Mary’s is ranked No. 17 in the country in NCAA NET rankings. Along with winning percentage, the NET rankings take into account game results, strength of schedule, game location, scoring margin, net offensive and defensive efficiency, and the quality of wins and losses. For the NCAA, it’s both a results-driven and predictive metric. 

UP NEXT: The Gaels host Oregon State at UCU Pavilion in their regular season finale on Saturday, March 1. It will be senior day for Mitchell Saxen, Luke Barrett, and Augustas Marciulionis. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. Come out and support your Gaels, or watch live on CBS Sports Network. Then get ready for the WCC Tournament in Las Vegas, with the Gaels’ first game in the semifinals on Monday, March 10.

Story updated with photo credit on February 28, 2025, at 5:10 p.m.