LACEY, WA — Saint Martin's Men's Basketball (12-2, 2-0 GNAC) faced California State University, East Bay at home this past Monday in a non-conference contest.

The Saints and Pioneers would open up the game by trading possessions and scoring opportunities, and while SMU would get points on the board early, it was clear that CSUEB came ready to play. On the offensive side of the ball, the Saints would have trouble connecting on shots throughout the first half, but would still find points thanks to the efforts of Myles Samuels, who would lead the team in points with 19. Jaden Nielsen-Skinner would show off his versatility with 12 points, a team-high nine assists, and three boards in another impressive performance from the redshirt senior. Even with a balanced attack, which has been a staple of this Men's Basketball team this season, the Saints would ultimately be slowed down by their shooting, only going 13-35 (37.1%) from the field. The Pioneers would capitalize by going 15-27 (55.6%) from the field and an astounding 6-8 (75%) from the three-point line, which would give them the lead going into halftime, 43-36.

East Bay would continue their efficient offense in the second half, expanding their lead to as many as 12 points, but the Saints would find a spark from their supporting cast. Marcel Stevens and Diego Trejo-Delgado would heat up in the second half, each score 12 points to add to the team's efforts. Immanuel Oludele would be on the court for a personal season-high of 31 minutes and take full advantage of his opportunities, recording 11 points and seven rebounds, which would only be topped by Trejo-Delgado's eight by the end of the contest. Dyson Lighthall and Gavin Gilstrap would patrol the paint for the Saints, combining for 17 points, nine boards, and two blocks. The Saints would storm back and claim their first lead of the game since the opening minutes, 65-64, with just seven-and-a-half minutes to play. The Pioneers would find their footing towards the end of the half, resulting in five lead changes to close regulation. A series of turnovers and an almost-made half-court shot from the Pioneers would result in the contest going to overtime, as the game would be tied, 76-76. Overtime would prove to be as competitive as the final seven minutes of regulation, with a Gilstrap layup off an Oludele pass would put the Saints ahead in the final 30 seconds, and a strong defensive stand would keep the Pioneers at bay to give SMU the win, 86-84. 

Head Coach Aaron Landon was impressed with the way the team battled through adversity and ultimately did what they had to do to get the win:

"I told our guys after the game that we got more connected to our brand of basketball as the game went on. We started finding the paint offensively and I thought our guys got tougher on the glass. Cal State East Bay is really impressive with their length and toughness. I'm really proud of how we battled tonight."

The Saints will have a quick turnaround as they face Lincoln University (CA) on Tuesday, December 17th at 7:00 PM. You can get tickets and more information here.