PORTLAND, Ore. – After three straight games coming down to the final possessions, the Saints were able to get a double-digit victory over Concordia, 89-77, behind the 26-point performance from EJ Boyce.
 
The win put the No. 15 Saints at 14-2 overall and 7-1 in conference action, and with Northwest Nazarene's loss to Alaska, SMU claimed sole possession of the GNAC's top slot. Boyce connected on five 3-pointers as the Saints found their form from beyond the arc once again, hitting a combined 13 3-pointers. Tavian Henderson stepped up off the bench with 12 rebounds, and Luke Chavez, Rhett Baerlocher, and Jordan Kitchen all managed double-digit scoring nights.
 
"Coming away with a road sweep is a great step forward for this team," said head coach Alex Pribble. "Our guys really battled tonight, and tried to get some separation against a very tough Concordia team. Winning on the road is never easy, and our guys put together a couple of great runs in both halves. I though all weekend Jordan Kitchen has been fantastic. He, Jared Mathews and Tavian Henderson have really given us an inside presence."
 
Concordia hit multiple 3-pointers in the opening minutes of the game to hold a 10-8 lead before Kitchen and Chavez quieted the crowd with back-to-back triples of their own. The baskets were the start of a 10-0 run to put Saint Martin's on top, and a lead SMU would never relinquish.
 
Saint Martin's lead quickly grew to double-digits after an old-school 3-point play by Boyce gave SMU a 32-21 lead with 7:15 left to go in the half. Chandler Redix and Chavez connected on some more 3-pointers, and Henderson added a layup and free throw to extend the lead to 41-28. However, the closing 3:43 of the game, the Saints were outscored 12-3, highlighted by the buzzer-beater, half-court shot by Concordia's Cody Starr to pull the score to 44-40 at the break.
 
Redix and Baerlocher quickly jumped on the Cavaliers in the second half to give Saint Martin's some breathing room at 51-42. Boyce continued to assault from beyond the perimeter, hitting a couple more 3-pointers, and Saint Martin's had its' largest lead of the game at 71-54 with 10:19 left to go.
 
In the final ten of minutes of action, Saint Martin's offense transitioned into the paint and Jared Mathews and Henderson scored six of the Saints' 10 straight points down low. Concordia was unable to ever really pull the game close again and Saint Martin's finished off their road sweep of the Oregon schools with an 89-77 victory.
 
Boyce, in 34 minutes of action, scored 26 points, only two off his career-high from earlier this season, on eight made field goals. Chavez ended with 13 points, and three steals, while Baerlocher and Kitchen combined for 22 points and eight rebounds. Redix rounded out the starting five with nine points, six rebounds, and Mathews and Henderson came off the bench for eight points, four rebounds, and seven points, 12 rebounds respectively.
 
"It's great to see EJ get it going tonight," said Pribble. "He's so dangerous, and when he gets hot, he's tough to stop. He had some looks tonight and knocked down some big shots."
 
Saint Martin's as a team shot 32-for-60 (53.3 percent) from the field, 13-for-32 (40.6 percent) beyond the arc, and 12-for-16 (75.0 percent) at the line. SMU collected 37 rebounds, 18 assists on 15 turnovers, along with four blocks and eight steals.
 
"We also did a better job rebounding the ball tonight," stated Pribble. "but that's still something we need to improve on moving forward. It will be a big challenge on Tuesday against Seattle Pacific. I hope to see everyone in Marcus Pavilion for a huge game on Tuesday. We're going to need a great environment."
 
SMU returns home to defend their perfect 7-0 record against second place Seattle Pacific for a Tuesday night faceoff. The game is set to begin at 7:00 p.m. with live stats and video, along with internet radio by The Bryant and Clark Sports Connection on smusaints.com.