PROVO, Utah – Playing without the GNAC Preseason Player of the Year, Luke Chavez, the Saints fell behind early to BYU, as the offense looked to find their rhythm. BYU took full advantage of the slow start and never looked back as they cruised to a 92-71 exhibition win over SMU.

"This was a very valuable experience for us," said head coach Alex Pribble. "We came into a tough environment, against a top tier opponent, and improved throughout the game. We found some momentum in the second half, and we'll look to build on that throughout the remainder of our preseason."
 
BYU jumped to an early lead, using a 12-0 run to established the tempo of the game. In the first half, the freshman Alexis Angeles, getting his first look at the collegiate game, make an immediate impact. Angeles led the Saints with five points, including knocking down one of the three 3-pointers. Marky Adams and BJ Standley grabbed a combined nine rebounds and Standley and Chandler Redix both had two assists.
 
BYU shot 50.0 percent from the field in the opening half, with Yoeli Childs leading the way with 13 points and four rebounds down low. The Cougars took advantage of the SMU turnovers, scoring 14 points and 14 fastbreak points. The length and size of BYU proved to be the difference maker in the first half and led them to a 45-23 lead at the break.
 
Out of halftime, the Saints managed to trim the lead down to 15 on 3-pointers by Standley and EJ Boyce. Rhett Baerlocher and Jordan Kitchen added to the scoring with a couple of baskets down in the paint. However, foul trouble by the Saints stunted their offensive surge and BYU used its size to attack down low and get to the free throw line. Over the course of the game, the Cougars converted 21 times at the line and shot 54.7 percent from the field. The Cougars pulled away down the stretch and cruised to a 92-71 exhibition win to open the season.

"Our focus was really on communicating throughout the game," said Pribble. "I think our guys made some great adjustments after a slow start. We got the wake up call we needed to start the game, and now we will go back to the film and improve."
 
Standley completed an all-around game, finishing with 18 points, six rebounds, and seven assists. Baerlocher added 11 points and three rebounds, while Caden Smith provided three 3-pointers off the bench in the second half. Adams and Jared Mathews combined for nine points and nine boards down low, and Kitchen added five points and three rebounds.
 
As a team, the Saints shot 24-for-55 (43.6 percent) from the field, including 61.5 percent in the second half. SMU hit 12-of-27 (44.4 percent) from beyond the arc, and was 11-for-19 (57.9 percent) at the free throw line. Saint Martin's collected 33 rebounds, 14 assists, and had 30 fouls called.

"I thought we had some really good energy from a few of our guys off the bench, including Marky Adams, Alexis Angeles, Caden Smith, and Kazuma Lane," Pribble stated. "It's great to know that we have some depth we can rely on."
 
The Saints start the season next month on November 9 down in San Diego for the GNAC/Pac West Challenge. SMU will face Fresno Pacific, Point Loma, and UC San Diego in the tournament.