BELLINGHAM, Wash. — The Saint Martin's Men's Basketball team is headed to the GNAC championship game for the second time in program history.

The Saints defeated Central Washington 87-68, riding a huge first-half spark that carried into a one-sided victory. The win for Saint Martin's, which clinches a spot in the GNAC championship game tomorrow against Alaska Anchorage, marks a tie for the third most wins in a season in program history.

Saint Martin's shot over 50% as a team, saw five players score in double figures, and held a +23 team rebounding advantage.

How It Happened
First Half

• The Saints were firing on offense in the first half, shooting 47.4% from the field and going 7-15 from beyond the arc.
• After a close 5-4 start in favor of the Saints, a 7-0 run put Saint Martin's ahead 12-4 with 16:41 on the clock.
• The Saints hit five three-pointers in the opening 10 minutes and built a 27-21 lead halftime through the first frame.
• After Saint Martin's held a 33-27 lead with 5:02 to go in a close-knit first half, the Saints erupted for a momentum-shifting 12-0 run that was capped off by a Dae'Kwon Watson three-pointer and saw five defensive holds for Saint Martin's. The Saints built a 45-27 lead with 1:38 left in the half.
• The Wildcats hit a three-pointer in the final, as the Saints went into halftime leading 45-30. Diego Trejo-Delgado led the Saints with 10 points, while 11 first-half rebounds by Pablo Navarro helped Saint Martin's hold a 24-12 advantage on the boards.

Second Half

• The Saints scored six points unanswered out of the halftime break, taking a 51-30 lead with 18:53 on the clock.
• A high-scoring start to the second half saw a three-pointer by Diego Trejo-Delgado put the Saints ahead 60-39 with 15:29 left in regulation.
• With just under 10 minutes left in the half, a layup by Dae'Kwon Watson capped off a 9-3 run that saw the Saints pull ahead 73-47.
• The Saints held a steady lead through the second half, as a dunk by Nari Jordan ignited the crowd and put the Saints up 79-54 with 6:09 to go.
• Saint Martin's shot 56.3% in the second half, carrying out an 87-68 victory to clinch a spot in the GNAC Championship game.

Top Performers

• Diego Trejo-Delgado led the Saints with 19 points and added six rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
• Pablo Navarro recorded his seventh double-double of the season, scoring 10 points and grabbing 15 rebounds.
• Patrick Kilfoil scored 13 points and added four assists and one steal.
• Dae'Kwon Watson totaled 12 points, four rebounds, and two assists.
• Mark Clegg Jr. returned from injury and posted 10 points and six rebounds.

Team Stats

• The Saints dominated the boards, out-rebounding the WIldcats 45-22.
• Saint Martin's shot 51.6% from the field as a team, the ninth time this season that the Saints have shot 50% or better — the Saints are 9-0 in those games.

Historical Note

• The Saints have clinched a spot in the GNAC Tournament Championship game for the second time in program history, and the first since 2018. A win in tomorrow's game against Anchorage would mark the program's first GNAC Tournament Championship.

Up Next

• Saint Martin's will face Alaska Anchorage at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow night, March 7, at Carver Gym in Bellingham, Washington for a chance to win the 2025-26 GNAC Tournament Championship.