NAMPA, Idaho – Entering the game with more than seeding on the line for the GNAC Championships, the No. 10 Saints needed a win to keep pace atop the NCAA West Region Rankings. Facing the number one offense in the GNAC in Northwest Nazarene, the Saints dropped a season-high 97 points, with three different players scoring 20-points or more to clinch at least a share of the GNAC Regular Season Title.
 
The Saints were without their leading scorer EJ Boyce, but Luke Chavez, Chandler Redix and BJ Standley stepped up in his stead. The three guards combined for 64 points, with 26 coming from the free throw line alone. Northwest Nazarene opened up a 16 point lead in the first half, but the Saints responded with force on the offensive end. SMU proceeded to outscore NNU 62-33 over the next 22 minutes of action to storm back and clinch the monumental road victory.

"Before the game, we talked about what it would take to win tonight," said head coach Alex Pribble. "It was all about the intangibles, we had to stay together as a team, stay composed, and learn throughout the game. That's exactly what these guys did tonight. We faced some adversity, and our guys came together and really battled. NNU is a very talented team, and this was a gritty win. We had contributions from a lot of different guys, but I thought Jared Mathews and Jordan Kitchen in particular really stepped up. We also had really steady play from our guards, especially down the stretch."
 
The Saints opened the game with a couple 3-pointers and held the small 13-10 lead before the Nighthawks began their 23-4 run. Over the course of seven minutes, the Nighthawks went from trailing by three to leading by 16 and had the Saints on the ropes. Kitchen continued to deliver on the offensive end, breaking the run with a basket then a dunk, becoming the first Saint in double-figures with 10 points.
 
After the Kitchen's baskets, the Nighthawks' fouls began to mount up and resulted in sending the Saints to the line. Over the final six minutes, the Saints knocked down eight free throw attempts, which seemed to spark Chavez. The senior connected on two 3-pointers down the stretch, helping the Saints trim a 16-point deficit to only five by halftime.
 
Chandler Redix opened the second half with three more free throws, and Chavez converted a jumper to pull SMU to within four. Following a basket by NNU, the Saints proceeded to rattle off back-to-back-to-back steals, and a Kitchen dunk, and two baskets from BJ Standley tied the game at 48-48 with 15 minutes left to.
 
The six points off turnovers were part of a 12-2 run for the Saints as they regained the lead for the first time in the second half. Once the Saints' offense began to warm up, it caught on fire. Within a matter of minutes, the Saints held a 12 point lead, highlighted by 3-pointers from Rhett Baerlocher and Jared Mathews.
 
Saint Martin's lead grew to as many as 15, 81-66, and with less than five minutes in the game, it all looked to be over. However, just like the first meeting between these two teams, the Nighthawks began making plays down the stretch.
 
The 15 point lead was down to just five with 1:38 left to go and the Saints had possession. Kitchen, and Redix, who had combined for 33 points had fouled out of the game. Despite the foul situation, the Saints put the ball in the hands of their leader, Chavez, to win them the game at the line. The senior calmly hit his final seven attempts, and Standley and Mathews each scored two to hold off the Nighthawks. Saint Martin's walked away with a massive 97-87 win over Northwest Nazarene.

"Clinching a share of the GNAC Title is a huge accomplishment for our program," said Pribble. "These seniors have seen this program through a major transition, and I'm so happy that they will get to look back at this experience and call themselves champions."
 
Chavez pieced together one of his best performances of his Saint Martin's career, going for 23 points, along with seven rebounds and four assists. The senior was an outstanding 12-for-13 at the free throw line. Joining Chavez in the 20-point club was Redix at 21 and Standley with 20. Mathews got the start for Boyce and connected for 13 points and a team-leading eight rebounds. Kitchen finished with 12 points, along with four rebounds and two assists.
 
Saint Martin's were firing on all cylinders offensive all night, shooting 28-for-56 (50.0 percent) from the field, 12-for-29 (41.4 percent) from beyond the arc, and 29-for-33 (87.9 percent) at the free throw line. The Saints collected 34 rebounds on the night with 14 assists on 13 turnovers, along with four steals and two blocks.
 
Saint Martin's travels to Central Washington for their final regular season tilt of the year on Saturday. Game is set to tip-off at 7:00 p.m. with live stats and video links available on smusaints.com.