Stuffing the statsheet: Mikey Lewis had 16 points, two assists, two blocks, and a pair of steals. / Photo by Shelly Hanks for WSU Athletics
Gaels Light It up from Three in Pullman, Down Cougars 83–67
Joshua Dent knocks down four of the 10 SMC triples and scores 22 points. Paulius Murauskas racks up a double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds. And Mikey Lewis scores 16 plus a pair of assists. The Gaels are now No. 26 in the country in NET Rankings.
The Saint Mary’s Gaels capped off their regular season road slate on Saturday night with a rousing 83–67 win against Washington State on the Palouse. The Cougars threw everything they had at the Gaels in the first half, but a late 11–3 surge to close out the frame gave the Gaels a lead and momentum that they would carry all the way through the second half.
Joshua Dent knocked down four of the Gaels’ 10 triples en route to a team-high 22 points. The big night in Pullman was his third straight full 40 minute contest and his first 20+ point outing since he scored his career-high 26 against the Cougars in Moraga in January. Dent also led the way defensively, with three steals. Paulius Murauskas went for 17 points and 12 rebounds as well as a team-high four assists for Saint Mary’s (25–4, 14–2 West Coast Conference). It was his sixth double-double of the season, just one short of the team-high mark this year.
Mikey Lewis rounded out the double-digit scoring for the Gaels, dropping 16 and stuffing the statsheet with two assists, two blocks and two steals against Washington State (12–17, 7–9 WCC).
Second Half Overdrive
Dent exploded for 17 first half points, burying three of his first five three point attempts. Eight of those 17 came in the final 3:17 of the half, in which the Gaels went on an 11–3 run to take a narrow 40–39 lead into the break.
An 8–3 run to start the second half gave the Gaels a six point lead, and they never relinquished it, building it up to as large as 19 before eventually finishing at 83–67. Mikey Lewis and Paulius Murauskas combined for 24 points in the second, helping the Gaels separate early and pull away.
SMC is No. 26 in the Country in NET Rankings
Joshua Dent continued to dominate against the Washington State Cougars. In two games against the Cougs, he has averaged 24 points per game, and has played a full 80 minutes in those contests. That’s a contributing factor in Dent leading the WCC in minutes played and minutes per game. He also boasts the best free throw percentage in the conference, at 92.7%.
Paulius Murauskas went for his sixth double-double, good for second on the team. Murauskas also leads the conference in total points, at 551, and is No. 3 in the WCC when it comes to rebounds. The WCC leader in rebounds is Andrew McKeever, who racked up seven against the Cougars. McKeever also leads the Gaels in double-doubles, with seven.
Mikey Lewis continued his consecutive double-digit scoring streak, with his sixth straight—one shy of his season opening streak of seven. Saturday night also marked the eighth time this season that SMC has scored 10 threes or more; the Gaels have won all eight of those contests.
Saint Mary's finishes its road season with a record of 8–2 in conference play. Since the 2022–23 season, the Gaels are 31–5 on the road, second best in the nation in that time frame. This also marks the Gaels sixth consecutive 25+ win season, excluding the shortened 2020–21 season.
Checking in on the NET Rankings—the primary sorting tool in DI basketball—the Gaels’ record earns them a spot at No. 26 in the country.
Up Next: Gaels face the Broncos
With the win on Saturday night, the Gaels still control their own destiny for a share of the WCC Regular Season Title—with Saint Mary's, Santa Clara, and Gonzaga all contenders. With that on the line, Saint Mary's returns home to host Santa Clara for a Wednesday night tilt. Tipoff inside UCU Pavilion is at 8 p.m. Get tickets and watch the game on CBS Sports Networks.
Then to finish off this big week of basketball on Saturday night, the Gaels host Gonzaga for the last game of the regular season.
