LACEY, Wash. — The Saint Martin's Men's Basketball team started off GNAC play with a 78-63 victory over Alaska Anchorage at Marcus Pavilion on Thursday, December 4.
The Saints built a steady lead and never looked back, as SMU shot a stellar 52.7% from the field as a team. The win improved Saint Martin's record to 6-2 overall and 1-0 in GNAC play.
How It Happened
First Half
- After a 2-2 start to the game, the Saints jumped out to a 9-2 lead with just over 16 minutes left in the half, as Mark Clegg Jr. led the way with two baskets.
- Kaden Hansen caught fire early, scoring 11 of the Saints' first 20 points. An emphatic alley-oop from Patrick Kilfoil to Mark Clegg Jr. put SMU up 22-6 at the 12:23 mark, prompting a timeout by Alaska Anchorage.
- SMU shot 18-31 (58.1%) from the field and 7-13 (53.8%) from long range, extending the lead to 44-29 at halftime.
- Mark Clegg Jr. led the Saints with 14 points in the first half, while Kaden Hansen scored 13.
Second Half
- The Saints pushed their lead to upwards of 19 in the second half, as the strong shooting night by Saint Martin's continued. SMU shot 45.8% from the field in the second half.
- At 12:57 on the clock, Anthony Simo dished a cross-court pass to Kaden Hansen, who converted the three and pushed SMU's lead to 57-38.
- The Seawolves came within 12 points, but the Saints limited the visitors to 29.7% from the field and 11.8% from three-point range in the second half, limiting UAA's comeback chances.
- A three-pointer by Omer Ege Peksari at the 8:51 mark pushed SMU's lead to 63-47. Patrick Kilfoil assisted on the shot.
- Another three, this time by Diego Trejo-Delgado, put SMU comfortably ahead 68-49 with 7:12 to go.
- Pablo Navarro converted a three-pointer at the 3:48 mark, pushing the SMU lead to 75-55 late in the game. The Saints cruised down the stretch and went on to win 78-63.
Top Performers
- Kaden Hansen led all players with 23 points, doing so off 8-12 shooting from the field and 5-8 shooting from beyond the arc. He also added three assists.
- Mark Clegg Jr. finished with 14 points and nine rebounds, shooting 6-7.
- Dae'Kwon Watson totaled 12 points, three assists, three steals, and two rebounds.
Team Stat of the Game
The Saints tallied their highest team shooting percentage of the season, going 29-55 (52.7%) from the field.
Up Next
The Saints will return to Marcus Pavilion to host Alaska Fairbanks. The GNAC matchup will tip off at 5:15 p.m. at Marcus Pavilion.
