Gaels Nearly Double up on Tigers in Stockton, 84–43

The Saint Mary's Gaels (19-6, 10-0 WCC) shook off a slow start to ultimately dominate the Pacific Tigers (6-19, 0-10 WCC) in a showdown Tuesday night, racking up an 84–43 win. The Gaels started 3–12 from the field but knuckled down to shoot 55% for the game, knocking down shots inside the paint, in the midrange, and from beyond the arc. As sharp as the offense was, so too was the defense, as the Gaels once again stifled the Tigers, holding them to 43 points on 33% shooting. 

Both sides came out of the gates slowly. Maybe that’s because both came off hard fought battles on Saturday evening. At 9:15 into Tuesday night’s game, the Gaels clung to a narrow 10–9 lead. That’s when they were able to remove the lid from the basket, going on a 13–0 run over the next four-plus minutes to extend their lead to 23–9. 

The hot shooting continued through the end of the half, as the Gaels took a 18 point lead into the break, 37–19, and finished the frame shooting 50% from the field and three. After being held scoreless against Gonzaga on Saturday, Alex Ducas scored 10 in the first half, including a pair of threes. Mitchell Saxen added nine points and five boards, while Augustas Marciulionis dropped six points and four dimes, both playing the entire half. 

Ducas Doesn’t Miss

The slow start in the first half was not mirrored in the second half, as Alex Ducas buried a three to kick things off, and the Gaels were off and running again. While any team would be pleased with the 50% clip that the Gaels shot at in the first half, they shot even better, at 57% for the second half, scoring 47 points, their most in a single half since their opening frame against Santa Clara on January 13. More impressively, the Gaels committed just one second half turnover. With the game well in hand in the second half, bench scoring was the name of the game, as Mason Forbes dropped 10 off the bench, while Kevin Gad put in a career-high nine. 

But Alex Ducas was the unsung offensive hero for the Gaels. The fifth year senior scored 18 points—his second highest total this season—and did not miss from three. Augustas Marciulionis added 12 points and five assists to just one turnover, while Luke Barrett also chipped in 12 off the bench and a team-high six rebounds. Mitchell Saxen had an 11 point, six rebound performance, while Mason Forbes dropped 10 off the bench to round out the Gaels double-digit scorers. 

The stellar play by Alex Ducas can be measured by his stats. What can't be measured that way is the leadership that he has brought to the Gaels all season long. 

After last week's win at Gonzaga, the Alex G. Spanos Center in Stockton was the only WCC court that Alex Ducas had not earned a win on. He missed his first two shots of the game, then proceeded to bury each of his final seven attempts. Ducas was a perfect 4-of-4 from three, but he proved he was so much more than a perimeter shooter, ripping down five rebounds and dishing out a pair of pretty assists. His stellar play can be measured by his stats. What can't be measured that way is the leadership that he has brought to the Gaels all season long. 

Getting by with a little help from our friends 

While the Saint Mary's starting five helped build the Gaels lead in the first half, it was strong play from the bench in the second half that propelled SMC to their second 40+ point victory over the Tigers this season. Luke Barrett led that charge with 12 points and six rebounds in 18 excellent minutes. Barrett had the hot hand from the get go, knocking down 5–6 shots including 2–3 from three. 

Mason Forbes also added double-digits off the bench, with 10 points on 5–6 shooting in 15 minutes. Kevin Gad knocked down three triples for a career-high nine, while Jordan Ross and Harry Wessels each scored two, adding up to 35 bench points. Cade Bennett and Chris Howell also came off the bench, and while neither scored, both provided quality minutes, Bennett from the point guard position with two rebounds, an assist and a steal, and Howell from the wing with a rebound and a steal. 

Kevin Gad entered the game for the Gaels with three minutes to go. Not often will a player reach career-high marks in three minutes of play, but that's precisely what Gad did. After hoisting and missing his first three point attempt—a shot that got about three quarters of the way down before kicking out—Gad proceeded to bury triples on each of the next three possessions. If that wasn't enough, the Livermore, California native also played strong defense, with a deflection and a block on the Tigers’ final two offensive possessions. Tuesday night, Gad showed everyone what it truly means to make the most of your minutes. 

UP NEXT: The Gaels gear up for a road trip to Portland and take on the Pilots on Saturday, February 10 at 5:30 p.m. 

READ MORE: This story as it appears at SMCGaels.com

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