Basketball player Paulius Murauskas drives against Santa Clara in January 2026

Double-double night: Paulius Murauskas scored 12 points and had 10 rebounds. / Photo courtesy Santa Clara Athletics

Gaels Drop Defensive Slugfest Against Santa Clara, 62–54

Saint Mary’s mounts a major comeback in the second half, with Tony Duckett providing a huge spark off the bench. But in the end the Gaels come up just short.

by Ryan Barnett, Assistant Athletic Director for Communication | January 18, 2026

In a battle between two of the top three teams in the West Coast Conference, the Saint Mary’s Gaels came up just short against the Santa Clara Broncos, falling 62–54 in the Leavey Center on Saturday night. The Gaels’ defense shined bright, but so too did the Broncos’ in the low scoring affair.

Paulius Murauskas was the lone Gael to score in double figures, scoring 12 to go along with 10 boards for his fourth double-double of the year. Joshua Dent and Andrew McKeever both chipped in eight, with Dent adding five boards, three assists, and three steals, and McKeever ripping down eight rebounds. Defensively, the Gaels held the Broncos to a season-low 62 points.

Nearly the Comeback They Needed

Half number one was a physical, grind-it-out, defensive 20 minutes of play. While the Saint Mary’s offense was limited to just 25 points, their defense held the Broncos in check, as the Gaels trailed by just seven heading into the halftime break.

The Broncos came out of the gates hot in the second half, but the Gaels weathered the storm, and turned a 16 point deficit to just two points with just three minutes to go. Tony Duckett provided a huge spark off the bench, scoring seven as the Gaels mounted what looked to be an epic comeback. Saint Mary’s, unfortunately, couldn't land the knockout blow, ultimately falling 62–54.

The Gaels had bested the Broncos in the previous eight matchups. And while this marks the first defeat for the Gaels in conference play, Saint Mary’s remains undefeated at home for the season. One more notable stat: Joshua Dent has now played 160 consecutive minutes—not leaving the floor for four straight games.