Marciulionis Leads Gaels to Dogfight Victory over LMU in Men’s Basketball

After last season's overtime thriller in Los Angeles, the Gaels were primed for battle with the LMU Lions. In a punch and counterpunch style of game, the two teams battled back and forth, but it was the Gaels who struck the final blow, defeating LMU 68–64 on Saturday evening. The Gaels now move to 2–0 in WCC play on the road, and will have their first home conference tilt on January 11.

The Gaels never trailed in the first half but could not ever pull away from the pesky Lions, never leading by more than six. Augustas Marciulionis led the charge in the first half for Saint Mary's with nine points on 3 for 6 shooting and a pair of assists. What kept the Gaels ahead throughout the half was their valuing of the basketball, as the team racked up 11 assists to just one turnover, while LMU turned it over eight times. 

Punch and Counterpunch

LMU came out of the halftime break with a vengeance, opening the half on a 11–5 run to take their first lead of the game at 42–40. The Gaels seemed to weather the storm after responding with a 13–4 run of their own, to build their largest lead of the game at 53–46, but the Lions continued to chip away, eventually regaining the lead at 62–61. 

The two teams traded buckets over the final three minutes and change, but a top by the Gaels with one minute remaining a free throws from Alex Ducas and Aidan Mahaney put the game on ice, 68–64. Marciulionis continued to lead the Gaels throughout the game, dropping 13 points in the second half, while not leaving the court, while Mahaney added nine second half points. 

Overall, it was a career-high performance from Augustas Marciulionis, who scored 22 points and led all scorers. Aidan Mahaney chipped in 14 points, while Mitchell Saxen added 10. Joshua Jefferson ripped down nine boards to lead the Gaels on the glass, while Alex Ducas dished out four dimes.  

Marciulionis Stays Red Hot 

Over the last 10 games, Marciulionis  has averaged 14.3 points per game. Against LMU he also added three assists, marking his tenth consecutive three-plus assist contest. Over the last 10, he has also averaged 5.1 assists a game. 

The Gaels turned the ball over just four times, making their assist turnover ratio 4:1 on the evening. Saint Mary’s was also able to avenge last season's overtime upset at the hands of LMU, when the Lions shocked Saint Mary's 78–74. In that contest, the Gaels turned the ball over 12 times, something they certainly cleaned up in this time around. 

UP NEXT: The Gaels open WCC home play by hosting Portland on January 11. Tip off is set for 8 p.m. 

READ MORE: This story as it was originally published at SMCGaels.com.

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