BELLINGHAM, Wash. – For the second straight year, the Wolves of Western Oregon stood in the way of a Saints' GNAC tournament championship. Saint Martin's led by as many as 16 in the second half, but Western Oregon mounted a comeback for the record books. A 47-20 second half surge lifted the Wolves to a 70-53 victory in the GNAC semifinals.
 
A second straight trip to the GNAC title game looked to be well in reach in the opening possessions of the second half. The Saints were rolling, and the 3-pointers were falling. After a 16-point lead, the entire momentum of the game changed. Western Oregon started locking down on the defensive end and SMU went 1-for-7 from beyond the arc. Off of the misses, the Wolves turned the tide and captured their fourth straight trip to the GNAC title game.

"There's no hiding the fact that this one hurts," said head coach Alex Pribble. "You've got to credit WOU, they're a really tough matchup for us with their physicality, and they really took us out of rhythm in the second half. I love our guys, and feel for them, but we're going to stick together and be back stronger. I'm proud of the effort they gave, and we'll have to grow from this loss together."
 
 The Saints' defense had led them all regular season, and the tone did not change in their first postseason game. Western Oregon was held to without a bucket for the first five minutes of the game, while the Saints opened up with seven straight points.
 
Saint Martin's connected on its' first 3-pointer with EJ Boyce stepped into a shot at the 10-2 mark with 14:25 left in the first half. However, despite the lead, the Saints' offense went into a cold stretch, allowing WOU back into the game. The Wolves chipped away until the Saints' lead was down to as little as 15-13 with 11:29.
 
Boyce answered the call with back-to-back 3-pointers and the Saints never looked back in the half. Down the stretch, BJ Standley and Jared Mathews knocked down baskets and the Saints' lead stretch to double-figures, 33-23 at the break.
 
Saint Martin's continued to extend their lead in the second half, opening the game's largest lead at 16 on six straight points by Chandler Redix.
 
Just like the first half, the Saints' offense went cold; however, this time, Western Oregon managed to full catch up. Over the course of five and half minutes, Western Oregon went from trailing by 16 to their first lead at 47-45 with 10:46 left in the game.
 
Redix broke the draught with a floater off the glass and Boyce followed it up with a jumper inside the arc to put SMU back on top 50-48. Western Oregon responded once again, scoring nine straight points and taking a 57-50 lead with only five minutes left to go.
 
The 3-pointers continued fall for Kaleb Warner of Western Oregon, as the senior led the game with a career-high 25 points. Saint Martin's could never find an answer on the offensive end and chip their way back into the game. Western Oregon handled the pressure of the Saints' defense and iced home the 70-53 victory.
 
Boyce and Standley led the way with 14 and 13 points respectively. Jordan Kitchen collected a team-high seven rebounds while Luke Chavez ended with two points, six rebounds, and two assists.
 
Saint Martin's shot 17-for-55 (30.9 percent) from the floor, 6-for-20 (30.0 percent) beyond the arc, and 13-for-20 (65.0 percent) at the free throw line. The Saints collected 33 rebounds, eight assists on 13 turnovers, along with five steals and two blocks.

"Thank you to all of the amazing Saints fans that traveled to Bellingham tonight," said Pribble. "I wish we could have pulled this out for you all, thank you for your support."
 
The Saints will now await the NCAA selection show on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. to see if they will host the NCAA West Regional Tournament.