LACEY, Wash. — The 2025-26 Saint Martin's Men's Basketball team has set a new program record for longest winning streak with 12 straight wins, defeating Simon Fraser 84-61 at Marcus Pavilion on Saturday, January 17.
After a close start to the game, Saint Martin's rattled off a late first-half run that translated into a lopsided win, spearheaded by 20-point performances from Dae'Kwon Watson and Kaden Hansen.
The win improved the Saints' record to 15-2 overall and 7-0 in GNAC play.
How It Happened
First Half
- Simon Fraser pulled ahead early, building a 13-7 lead with 14:07 on the clock.
- The Saints trailed through the 10-minute mark (15-14).
- Saint Martin's fought back to take the lead (23-20) with a Dae'Kwon Watson three-pointer at the 7:44 mark.
- Both teams exchanged baskets after this point, until a pivotal 8-0 run put the Saints up 32-24 with 3:47 remaining in the half, prompting Simon Fraser to burn a timeout.
- The Saints steadily started to build their lead at the end of the half, going up 43-33 at the break. Dae'Kwon Watson led all scorers with 16 points, hitting four three-pointers.
Second Half
- After Simon Fraser opened the half with a jumper, the Saints went on an 11-2 run the put Saint Martin's ahead 54-37 with 16:00 remaining in regulation.
- The Red Leafs pushed within single digits (59-50, Saints) at the 9:39 mark, before the Saints pushed back ahead 66-52 with a hook shot by Dae'Kwon Watson. The basket by Watson translated into a 6-0 run that put the Saints up 70-52 with just under seven minutes remaining.
- The Saints shot 51.5% in the second half, pulling away down the stretch and winning 84-61 at the final buzzer.
Top Performers
- Guards Dae'Kwon Watson and Kaden Hansen put up nearly identical stellar stat lines, with each scoring 20 points and dishing out six assists.
- Pablo Navarro notched a double-double, scoring 11 points and grabbing 11 boards,
- Anthony Simo finished with nine points and ten rebounds.
Team Stat of the Game
Saint Martin's dominated the boards, holding a 47-31 advantage in team rebounding, the sixth time this season that the Saints have held a rebounding margin of at least +15.
Up Next
The Saints will hit the road for two straight conference away games, facing Central Washington on Jan. 22 and Northwest Nazarene on Jan. 24
