A night for triples: Mikey Lewis scored three of the Gaels’ baskets from beyond the arc. / Photo courtesy University of Portland Athletics
Gaels Drain Nine Threes to Sink Pilots, 75–69
Paulius Murauskas drops 24 points to go with nine rebounds. Mikey Lewis and Joshua Dent combine for 28 points and six triples. And Dillon Shaw cans a three in the final seconds that ensures a Gaels win.
The Portland Pilots put up all they could muster against the Saint Mary’s Gaels, but when the dust settled, it was the Gaels who reigned victorious, 75–69 at the Chiles Center Saturday night. The Gaels led for nearly 35 minutes of the contest and only trailed for 14 seconds, burying shot after shot to curtail every Pilot run.
Paulius Murauskas dropped 24 points, including a perfect 9–9 clip at the line. The junior from Lithuania came up just one rebound shy of a double-double, ripping down nine boards and helping the Gaels to a +10 advantage on the glass. The back court duo of Mikey Lewis and Joshua Dent added 15 and 13 respectively, each draining three threes. Dent added seven assists to lead the Gaels, while Harry Wessels notched his first career double-digit rebounding performance with 10.
Down to the Wire
Both sides played to a 16 all stalemate throughout the first eight minutes of the contest. A 20–8 run by the Gaels over the next nine minutes and change saw the Gaels charge out to their largest lead of the half at 36–24. But the Pilots responded by closing out the frame on a 10–2 run of their own to trim the deficit to four points at the break. For the period, the Gaels shot 52% from the field and 50% from three.
The Gaels never trailed in the second half, but the Pilots never let Saint Mary’s pull away. With two minutes left, Portland cut the deficit to one, followed by a near two minutes scoreless spell from both sides. That spell broke when Dillan Shaw canned a three with 15 seconds remaining to push the Gaels ahead 73–69. Portland missed on their shot on the ensuing possession and fouled Joshua Dent; he nailed the two free throws to end the game in favor of the Gaels.
A Few Points about Points
With the 24 points Paulius Murauskas scored Saturday, he has now scored 74 points in four career games against the Pilots. Starting guards Mikey Lewis and Josh Dent combined for 28 points, including a combined six made threes on 12 attempts. It’s just the second time that both have made at least three triples in a contest.
As for the nine threes of the night: This is the eighth time the Gaels have managed that feat. And all eight times Saint Mary’s has won.
Up Next: Gaels vs. Zags on January 31
The Gaels have a week until their next contest, when they head to the Kennel to take on Gonzaga. Tip-off for that matchup on January 31 in Spokane is set for 7:30 p.m. Watch the game on ESPN.
