Gaels’ Offense Rolls on with 87–66 Win over Defending NIT Champs Chattanooga

After a strong performance on opening night against St. Thomas at the beginning of this week, the Saint Mary's Gaels had another top tier mid-major program come to town on Friday night. The Chattanooga Mocs, riding the nation's longest active winning streak, made the trek from Tennessee to Moraga—where they were schooled in a Saint Mary’s offensive clinic that delivered a 87–66 victory for the Gaels. 

While Chattanooga became synonymous with efficient, fast-paced offense a year ago on their NIT title run, it was the Gaels who set the tone offensively on Friday evening, shooting 50% or better from both the field and the three-point line en route to their second 85+ scoring outing in as many contests on the young season. How good were those numbers? The Gaels went for an incredible 58% from the field, 50% from three, and 93% from the stripe. It’s the first time Saint Mary’s has gone 50/50/90 since their win over Northern Kentucky in late 2023. 

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After matching his career-high of 23 points in the season opener on Monday, Mikey Lewis smashed that number with 28 on Friday night against Chattanooga. The sophomore shooting guard also set career highs with 10 made free throws, five assists, and 32 minutes played. Paulius Murauskas added 21 points and was extremely efficient again, shooting 7–9 from the field, finishing tied for the team lead with eight rebounds, and dishing out five dimes for the second straight contest. The Lithuanian native has now opened his season 12–19 for the field for a stellar 63% field goal clip. 

Arguably the biggest impact player for the Gaels on Friday evening was redshirt sophomore Andrew McKeever. Making his first start of the season as the Gaels’ only active center in the absence of Harry Wessels, McKeever answered the bell and gave Saint Mary's exactly what they needed. He dropped a career-high 16 points on 7–8 shooting, finished tied with Murauskas for the team lead with eight boards, and played more minutes than any other Gael—just shy of 36 minutes played in the 40-minute game. While McKeever played limited minutes as a redshirt freshman a year ago, the 7’2” big man looks primed and ready for a breakout sophomore season.

Gaels Offensive Clinic Is in Session

The Gaels put on an offensive clinic in the first half, scoring 48 points on 57% shooting from the field. After a slow opening 4:30 that saw both teams knotted up at six apiece, the Gaels went on a 6–0 run over the next minute and never looked back. That lead extended out to as large as 18 points before eventually settling at 15 points, with the score sitting at 48–33 at the halftime break. 

Mikey Lewis led the offensive barrage with 17 first-half points, drawing five fouls and converting all seven of his free-throw attempts. Andrew McKeever played 19 minutes in the opening frame, surpassing his previous career high of 10 points—with 14 in the first half alone, going a perfect 6–6 from the field. Paulius Murauskas added 12 points and a team-high five boards. The Gaels’ hot shooting also translated to the free-throw line: SMC converted on all 13 free-throw attempts. Trace a through line to the matchup with St. Thomas on Monday evening, and that was 23 straight. But there was far more to come.

Even More Efficient on Offense and Defense

If the offense was good in half one, it was great in half two. The Gaels shot 59% from the field and 71% from three, and the Mocs never got closer than 11 in the second half. Saint Mary's eventually walked away with a 87–66 victory. Just like the first half, it was the MIkey Lewis show in the second frame, as he scored a team-high 11. Paulius Murauskas joined him in double figures in both halves with 10 points on a perfect 3–3 clip from the field. 

Defensively, the Gaels’ perimeter defense was much improved in the second half. After allowing five triples in the opening stanza, the Gaels limited the Mocs to just two made threes in the second. Saint Mary’s free-throw shooting precision continued into the second half as well: The Gaels connected on their first seven of the second half to make it 30 straight.

A New Program Record for Free Throws Made

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The hoop looked a little extra wide for the Gaels on Friday night: Saint Mary’s shot 50%+ from both the field and from three, while shooting better than 90% from the stripe, all contributing to their hefty 87-point tally against Chattanooga. Andrew McKeever led the way by shooting 7–8 from the field and 2–2 from the stripe, leading a group of five Gaels who individually shot 50% or better from the field and from three and 90% or better from the free throw line. 

The Gaels made their final 10 free throws in their opening night contest against St. Thomas, and followed that up by making their first 20 against Chattanooga. The 30 consecutive breaks a record that has stood for 45 years: most consecutive made free throws made by a Saint Mary's team. It was back in January 1980 that the Gaels made 26 in a row over a two-game stretch against USF and Gonzaga. 

Mikey Lewis made all 10 of his attempts; he’s on a perfect streak through his first 15 tries. Joshua Dent, Dillan Shaw, and Andrew McKeever were all also perfect for the game—and are for the season. 

Up Next: Saint Mary’s Hosts Ohio University Bobcats on Veterans Appreciation Night

On Tuesday, November 11, the Gaels welcome the Bobcats of Ohio University back to Moraga for the second time in as many years. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. at UCU Pavilion. Purchase tickets and watch the game on ESPN+. 

Taking place on Veterans Day, the game will honor veterans—and all veteran students can attend for free. It is part of events taking place throughout the day, including: a flag raising ceremony at 9:30 a.m.; a Veterans Day Mass at 12:40; a campus-wide BBQ; and a crafternoon at the SMC Veterans Garden making posters, cards, and more. 

Story updated with additional photos on November 10, 2025 at 8 a.m.