How to be Freshman of the Week: Dillan Shaw delivered a career-high 18 points and hit four 3-pointers. / Photo by Karina Isabel
Dillan Shaw’s Career-Night and Rory Hawke’s Dagger Cap Gaels’ West Coast Conference Opening Victory, 78–73 Over LMU
In a nail-biter of a game, Saint Mary’s comes through with clutch shots when they were needed—including a three-pointer in the final seconds.
To kick off West Coast Conference play on Sunday, December 28, Saint Mary's College Men's Basketball team delivered a thrilling 78–73 win over LMU at Albert Gersten Pavilion. The game was a nail-biter, featuring 15 ties and nine lead changes, but Saint Mary’s pulled through with clutch shot after clutch shot down the stretch.
Key contributions came from Dillan Shaw, who racked up a career-high 18 points, sinking four 3-pointers, two of which gave the Gaels leads in the second half. Joshua Dent added 14 points and five assists without a turnover. Paulius Murauskas was a force on the court with 13 points and nine rebounds, just shy of a double-double, while Harry Wessels fortified the defense with two blocks.
Down to the Final Seconds
Loyola Marymount (9–5, 0–1 WCC) came out of the gates hot, taking an early 18–13 lead, but Saint Mary’s (12–2, 1–0 WCC) responded with a 9–0 run, driven by the muscle of Andrew McKeever and Paulius Murauskas. After that the Gaels did not trail for the remainder of the half. But the Lions remained steadfast and were able to knot things up at 33 to close the frame. The Gaels asserted their presence on the interior, racking up 22 of their 33 points in the paint.
The Lions managed to take three separate leads in the second half but were never able to pull ahead by more than two points, as the Gaels were able to respond to every momentous LMU bucket. With 2:25 remaining, the game was yet again tied at 65 all, but Saint Mary's closed out the game on a 13–8 run that featured a trio of massive triples from Joshua Dent, Dillan Shaw, and Rory Hawke. Hawke's three came with just 3.4 seconds left in the game, breaking a 73 all tie, and paving the way to the Gaels 78–73 win.
Seasons Highs, Lows, and Freshman of the Week
Southern California native Dillan Shaw gave a standout performance for the second game in a row. Against Northern Iowa on December 22, he was key on defense. On Sunday night, it was all about offense: 18 points and hitting 4-7 from beyond the arc. Come Monday, he was honored as WCC Freshman of the Week.
Meanwhile the Gaels’ backcourt duo of Joshua Dent and Mikey Lewis combined for 22 points and eight assists, without a single turnover. And overall Saint Mary’s had a season-low six turnovers against the Lions. The Gaels earned a pair of season highs against LMU as well: The 52.7% field goal percentage and 50% three point clip were the highest marks by any team against the Lions in 2025–26.
This victory marks the Gaels’ fourth consecutive win in WCC openers.
Up Next: Gaels vs. Pepperdine
Saint Mary's heads to Malibu to face Pepperdine on Tuesday, December 30 at 6 p.m. at Firestone Fieldhouse. Watch the game on ESPN+.
