Live Stats/Live Video – Live Stats and Live Video of all of SMU's Basketball games will be available with links found on smusaints.com. Live stats and video will be produced by the host school.
Social Media – Follow the Saints on Twitter (@SMUSaints_MBB) and follow SMU Athletics on Facebook (Saint Martin's Saints), Twitter (SMUAthletics), Instagram (saints_athletics) and YouTube (SMU Athletics).
Ticket Information – Tickets for all Saints' home games can now be purchased online at smusaints.com. Tickets can also be purchased at the gate of the event for eight dollars for adults, and seven for seniors, military, and six dollars for kids 8 and up. All kids under the age of 8 are free. Tickets can be purchased with cash, or debit and credit card.
Marcus Pavilion and TwinStar Court – All home Saints' basketball matches are played inside Marcus Pavilion, located on the campus of Saint Martin's. The Pavilion just celebrated its' 50th anniversary in 2017. The newly named TwinStar Court is located inside Marcus Pavilion.
Listen On Bryant and Clark Sports Connection - All Saint Martin's Men's Home games will be broadcasted on the Bryant and Clark Sports Connection with links to broadcast found on smusaints.com. Follow them on Facebook (The Bryant and Clark Sports Connection).
Saints Digital Network – The Saints Digital Network is your home all Saint Martin's Athletics. Live stats and video broadcast are available of every home game this season for free, and can be found on smusaints.com.
Saints' Potential Starting Lineup –
G
Luke Chavez (12.2 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 2.7 apg)
G
Chandler Redix (12.3 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 2.8 apg)
G
EJ Boyce (12.0 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 1.9 apg)
G
Rhett Baerlocher (9.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 1.8 apg)
F
Jordan Kitchen (7.1 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.0 bpg)
SMU Leaders –
Scoring Redix (12.3), Chavez (12.2), Boyce (12.0)
Rebounding Henderson (5.3), Baerlocher (5.1), Kitchen (5.0)
Assists Standley (3.5), Redix (2.8), Chavez (2.7)
Steals Standley (1.6), Baerlocher (1.4), Chavez (1.4)
Blocks Kitchen (1.0), Henderson (0.7), Redix (0.4)
Saints Grab Monumental Road Victory Over Western Oregon - Western Oregon was the hump the Saints could never quite get over last season, with four of their eight losses coming at the hands of the Wolves. In a rematch of the GNAC Championship game, and second round of the NCAA Tournament, the Saints pulled off the monumental victory on the road, taking down the Wolves 64-59.
No one single player carried the Saints to the victory, as it was a complete team effort. Four Saints scored in double-digits, led by
Jordan Kitchen at 13, and six different players grabbed four or five rebounds. The sophomore
BJ Standley and
Tavian Henderson led the charge in the first half, scoring 13 combined points. In the second half, it was the seniors, Kitchen,
Luke Chavez and
Chandler Redix, as the three combined for 24 of the 37 points. The Saints' defense also proved to be the difference maker, limiting Western Oregon to only 3-for-19 (15.8 percent) from beyond the arc.
EJ Boyce Connects For 26 In Win Over Concordia – 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.
Reaching New Heights - After an 8-1 start to the 2018-19 season, the Saints have achieved their highest ranking in program history, reaching 11th in the media, moving up four spots from last week. The Saints moved up from 15 to 11, eclipsing their No. 13 ranking back in 2009.
Luke Chavez Selected To Bevo Francis Top 100 Watchlist - The senior guard has played in 12 games this season, and is second on the team in scoring 12.3 points per game. In 25 minutes of action, Chavez averages 2.6 rebounds per game, 2.8 assists per game, and 1.3 steals per game. Chavez has been efficient on the offensive end of the floor, shooting 45.0 percent from the field, 39.1 percent from beyond the arc, and 88.2 percent at the line.
Luke Chavez becomes the first ever Saint to be named to the Watchlist since it was created in 2015.
The Saints Are Ranked - Saint Martin's two victories last week against the pair of Alaska schools did not come easily, including an overtime win over Alaska. With the wins, the Saints improved to 12-2 overall, which in turn, boosted their standing in both the D2SIDA poll and NABC poll. The Saints jumped up three spots in the D2SIDA poll to 15, their second-highest ranking of the season. Over in the coaches poll, the Saints bounced back into the top-25, earning the 23rd-ranking. Over in the regional poll, the Saints fell into a tie with UC San Diego for the second spot in the poll, trailing only Point Loma.
GNAC's Longest Win Streak – Dating back to their home opener win over Northwest Christian on November 19, the Saints put together an eight game win streak, lasting until January 5th at Western Washington. The streak marks the longest of the season in the GNAC.
Luke Chavez Named GNAC Player of the Week - After leading the nationally-ranked Saints' basketball to two victories,
Luke Chavez was named GNAC Players of the Week. The GNAC Preseason Player of the Year, after missing last week due to injuries, returned to the court in style. Chavez started the week off with a 15-point performance against Alaska Anchorage, in 26 minutes of action. He followed it up with a 25-point effort, including 17 in the second half, as the Saints overcame Alaska in overtime. For the week, Chavez averaged 20 points per game, and 4.5 rebounds per game.
EJ Boyce Named GNAC Player of the Week -
EJ Boyce connected on eight 3-pointers and scored a career-high 28 points as Saint Martin's routed Dixie State 76-59. For his efforts, Boyce was named the GNAC Player of the Week on December 20. Boyce began the game by hitting five 3-pointers in the opening ten minutes to give the Saints a 30-10 lead. The onslaught from the outside continued as Boyce hit two more 3-pointers to close out a 23 point first half performance. He ended the night with 28 points, which broke his career-high and earned him his first GNAC Player of the Week award.
Leading The League In Threes – Saint Martin's has focused their offensive game around the 3-pointer all season, and with multiple weapons in the back court who can effectively hit from long range, SMU is once again near the top. For the season, the Saints are shooting 38.8 percent from beyond the arc. Their 10.9 3-pointers made per game, leads the conference, and is the only team in double-figures.
Can't Miss Tavian – After shooting an other-worldly 72.1 percent last season,
Tavian Henderson continues to connect from the floor. In his sophomore campaign, Henderson leads the GNAC in field goal percentage once again, with a 69.4 percent clip. On the year, Henderson has had three perfect nights on the floor.
Laundry List Of Awards –
Luke Chavez was named to the D2CCA All-West Region, and NABC West Region team, along with the GNAC Newcomer of the Year, first team All-conference and was a three time GNAC Player of the Week last year. He was voted the 2018 GNAC Preseason Player of the Year to begin the 2018-19 campaign.
Saints Ranked In Two Preseason Polls - After coming off a 25-8 season, and reaching the NCAA Tournament, and advancing to the Round of 32, the Saints have caught attention of the national stage. Saint Martin's received 32 votes in the National Association of Basketball Coaches' (NABC) Preseason Poll, and 27 votes in the Division II Sports Information Directors Association (D2SIDA) Preseason Poll.
Setting Records – The Saints' 25 wins last year was most ever in the NCAA-era in program history... and the first time since the 1982-83 season (28).
Boyce All-Conference –
EJ Boyce was named honorable mention All-Conference last year after averaging over 11 points per game and shot almost 44% from beyond the arc.
Playing In The Spotlight – The Saints played in the first ever nationally televised game in school history. The GNAC Championship game was broadcast on ESPN 3. Their second nationally televised game came against BYU on the BYU.tv network.
Pack The Pavilion – Over 10,000 people attended SMU Basketball games last season... One of only four programs in the GNAC to reach the 10,000 mark.
Championship Time – The Saints reached their first ever GNAC Championship game in school history after
Luke Chavez hit the buzzer beater over Western Washington in the semifinals.
Saints Go Dancing – SMU went to the big dance for the first time in program history... being selected as an at-large bid in the West region.
Advancing In The Tournament – Another first in school history, the Saints defeated Cal Poly Pomona, 66-58, to advance to the Round of 32.
Bring On The D-I's – Over the course of the last four seasons, the Saints have faced some of the premier D-I basketball programs to begin the years. During that stretch, SMU has traveled to Gonzaga, Washington, Washington State, and most recently BYU.
Positional Preview (Guards) – The Saints return one of the best backcourts not only in the GNAC, but in the West Region, headlined by All-Region selection
Luke Chavez. With two transfer guards starting last season, along with seasoned veteran
Rhett Baerlocher, there was a lot of optimism, but also a lot of question marks. Chavez and
EJ Boyce quickly erased any questions and established themselves as one of the top backcourts in the NCAA West. This season, there are no question marks or uncertainties. The Saints look to rely on the sharp shooting and quickness of their guards in order to return to the NCAA Tournament.
Positional Preview (Forwards) – The Saints lone loss from last year's squad was center
Matt Dahlen; however, head coach
Alex Pribble, returns two seniors,
Jordan Kitchen and
Jared Mathews, along with sophomore
Tavian Henderson, and adds transfer center
Marky Adams to the mix. Dahlen provided leadership and improved his offensive game as the season went on, and will be difficult to replace in the lineup. With the likes of Kitchen, a four year starter, and Mathews and Henderson being an integral part to the team last year, the Saints looked poised to step up and produce one of the most efficient front courts in the region.