Mitchell Saxen recorded 20 points and seven rebounds and No. 18 Saint Mary’s stretched its winning streak to 15 games with an easy 88-62 victory over San Diego on Saturday night in Moraga, Calif.
Alex Ducas scored 18 points on six 3-pointers and matched his career best of 12 rebounds as Saint Mary’s (23-6, 14-0 West Coast Conference) clinched at least a tie for the WCC regular-season crown.
Aidan Mahaney tallied 15 points and Augustas Marciulionis had 13 points and matched his career high of 10 assists as the Gaels defeated the Toreros for the 20th consecutive time. San Diego’s last win in the series came on Jan. 30, 2014.
Deuce Turner scored 20 points for San Diego (16-13, 6-8), which lost its second straight game. Jimmy Oladokun Jr. scored 13 points and Keyon Kensie added 10 for the Toreros.
San Diego’s Wayne McKinney III injured his right knee with 10:56 left in the first half and didn’t return.
The Toreros shot just 35.7 percent from the floor, including 4 of 19 from 3-point range.
Saint Mary’s made 55.9 percent of its shots and connected on 11 of 24 from behind the arc. The Gaels had 27 assists on 33 made baskets. Marciulionis also had four steals.
Saint Mary’s led by 13 at the half and expanded the advantage to 25 in the first six minutes of the second half.
Mahaney hit consecutive 3-pointers to give the Gaels a 61-37 lead with 14:54 left in the game. Just 36 seconds later, Luke Barrett converted a three-point play to make the margin 25.
Ducas later buried a 3-pointer to make it a 25-point lead again at 74-49 with 6:31 left. Saint Mary’s lead topped out at 31 points.
Saxen scored 12 first-half points as the Gaels led 43-30 at the break. Turner had 12 points in the half for San Diego.
It was a one-point contest five minutes in before Saint Mary’s went on a 14-3 spurt. Barrett capped it with a basket to give the Gaels a 25-13 advantage with 10:31 left in the half.
A 3-pointer by Turner pulled the Toreros within 29-22 with 7:53 remaining. Saint Mary’s answered with seven straight points with Saxen’s basket making it a 14-point margin with 5:38 left.
–Field Level Media
