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Clogging up the paint: Mitchell Saxen scored 12 to lead to Gaels—and kept the Broncos offense in check while Saint Mary’s went on an epic 30-point run. / Photo by Scott Dinn/Icon Sportswire 2025 via Associated Press
Gaels Tame the Broncos with a Convincing 67–54 Win, Extend the Best Road Winning Streak in the NCAA
A 30–0 run in the second half puts the game away. Mitchell Saxen leads scoring with 12, and seven Gaels score at least eight points. SMC is No. 1 in the West Coast Conference and the only undefeated team in conference play.
The Saint Mary’s Gaels (19–3, 9–0 West Coast Conference) power on with the best road winning streak in the country, at 15 in a row. On Wednesday evening they took their signature style of play to Santa Clara and tamed the Broncos (14–9, 6–4 WCC) by a convincing 67–54. The Gaels trailed by two with 3:14 in the first half before going on a 30–0 run spanning nearly 13 minutes to pull away.
While the Broncos again found their stride late, it was too little, too late, as Saint Mary’s once again racked up a double-digit victory. Now at 9–0 in the conference, the Gaels continue to hold a two game stranglehold on first place in the WCC at the halfway mark of conference play.
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Mitchell Saxen finished as the Gaels’ high man with 12 points. While the scoring outing wasn't the largest of Saxen’s career, his defense helped lead the Gaels to victory, as he clogged up the paint and refused the Broncos any clean inside in the second half. He is, after all, the No. 1 player in the country when it comes to offensive rebounding—and the Gaels as a team claim the No. 3 spot nationally in that metric.
Luke Barrett was the only other Gael in double figures, scoring 10. But like Saxen, it was what Barrett brought to defense in the second half that sparked the SMC 30–0 run. Five other Gaels scored at least eight points, with Paulius Murauskas adding 14 rebounds to his nine points, and Augustas Marciulionis adding five assists to his nine points.
The Gaels have now beaten eight of nine WCC foes this year by double digits. They’re the only undefeated team in the conference. And after Wednesday night’s games, SMC ranks No. 22 in the country in 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.
Gaels Galloping out of the Gates, Twice
Saint Mary’s defense shined in the first half, limiting the Broncos to just 10 points over the first 13 minutes of play, and the Gaels established 20–10 lead. Santa Clara, however, came storming back, stringing together solid interior scoring possessions to go on a 14–2 run to take a two point lead. The Gaels were able to curtail that Bronco momentum heading into the break, scoring the final two buckets of the half to take a two point lead. Ashton Hardaway buried a couple of threes in the first half to lead the way, while Paulius Murauskas and Harry Wessels combined for nine points and 10 boards in the opening stanza.
The Gaels took their 4–0 run that ended the first half and opened the second half by adding 26 more to go ahead 52–24. Saint Mary’s managed to hold the Broncos scoreless for the first 10 minutes of the second half to really put the game out of reach. Less than a week ago, the Gaels were able to outscore Washington State 23–7 over a stretch just shy of eight minutes to erase a double-digit deficit and eventually down the Cougars by five. While that run was stellar, against Santa Clara the Gaels took it to another level. This run pushed the Gaels up by 28 with under 10 minutes to go, a nearly insurmountable lead for any team, but even more so with the Gaels’ impressive defense.
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Jordan Ross led the offensive surge during the run with nine points, while Luke Barrett and Mitchell Saxen each scored seven in that stretch. A year ago, the Gaels had a similar run against the Broncos at the Leavey Center, opening the game on a 30–6 run over the opening 12 minutes of the game.
This time around, the Gaels took their foot off the gas pedal late, and Santa Clara started hitting contested three-pointers late to make the score a bit more respectable, crossing the finish line at 67–54. In the second half as a whole, Mitchell Saxen was unstoppable in the paint, with nine points, while Luke Barrett buried a pair of threes to get to eight.
Sharing the Wealth
The Gaels did not have one star scorer on Wednesday night; rather, seven players scored between eight and 12 points. Mitchell Saxen led the way with 12, connecting on 50% of his shots from the field and going 4–6 from the stripe. Luke Barrett joined him in double figures with 10, eight coming in the second half. The quartet of Jordan Ross, Augustas Marciulionis, Ashton Hardaway, and Paulius Murauskas each scored nine, with each knocking down at least one three. Harry Wessels had an efficient eight points in just 16 minutes of play.
This display of team basketball is characteristic of the Gaels’ scoring distribution all season long. They boast six scorers who average between 8.7 and 13.6 points per game, with any one of them having the ability to be the leading scorer on any given night.
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“It’s special to have a team where everybody is scoring and playing well within our system,” said Ashton Hardaway after the game. “We all care about winning and not about our own individual stats, so it's all about getting whoever has the hot hand the ball, and working on getting the best shot possible on every possession.”
UP NEXT: The Big One is up next for the Gaels, as rivals Gonzaga roll into town on Saturday, February 1. Tip off is at 8 p.m. inside UCU Pavilion. If you can’t catch the game in person, tune into ESPN to catch the action. Before the game, students, alumni, and other members of the Gael community are invited to a Beat the Zags Pregame Party and Tailgate on campus.
Story updated January 31, 2024, at 11 a.m. Pacific with additional photography.