Nov. 10, 2007

Box Score

Moraga, CA - Carlin Hughes scored a game-high 18 points to pace the Saint Mary's men's basketball team to a 72-66 victory over the Drake Bulldogs in the final game of the Saint Mary's Tip-off Classic. Hughes hit 5-of-8 3-pointers, helping the Gaels were 12-of-28 from behind the arch.

Saint Mary's (2-0) had five players score in double figures. Hughes lead all players with 18 points, Golden finished with 12 points, all from 3-point territory. Omar Samhan also had 12 points and with his game-high 10 rebounds he notched his third career double-double. Samhan also added a career-high six blocks as the team recorded 10 blocks. O'Leary and Mills finished the game with 10 points each. Last season's leading scorer Diamon Simpson finished the game with just four points.

For the second straight night, Hughes helped the Gaels hit double-digits in 3-pointers made. After making 10 threes last night against Sonoma State, Saint Mary's hit 12 threes against Drake. Todd Golden shot 80 percent from behind the arch on Saturday, making 4-of-5 shots from long range. Patrick Mills hit two threes and Ian O'Leary dropped one from downtown.

Last season the Gaels only reached double digits in threes once, and you have to go back to the 2003-04 season to find the last time the Gaels made 10 or more 3-pointers in back-to-back games. That season SMC hit 10 treys against San Diego then two nights later dropped 12 on rival Santa Clara.

The Gaels used timely shooting against Drake to pull out the victory. After the Bulldogs opened a 43-35 lead early in the second half, Saint Mary's utilized two three by Hughes and two baskets by Omar Samhan to pull even with the Bulldogs at 45-45 with 14:21 remaining. After Hughes stole a pass from Josh Young, the ensuing layup gave the Gaels a 47-45 lead with just under 13 and a half to play.

Drake was not phased by the SMC run, and regained the lead at 52-50 when Adam Emmenecker made a basket with 11 minutes on the clock. Follow a made free throw by Samhan, A three by Todd Golden from the corner gave the Gaels a 54-52. But as the Gaels answered, so did the Bulldogs.

The game would go back and forth until the 1:51 mark when a layup by SMC's Yusef Smith gave the Gaels the lead for good at 63-61. SMC held a seven-point advantage following two free throws by Patrick Mills with 35 seconds remaining. The seven point led for SMC was there largest of the game.

Saint Mary's shot 50 percent from the floor, making 25-of-50 shots and connected on 12-of-28 3-point attempts to shoot 42.9 percent from long range. The Bulldogs shot 40.4 percent (23-57) from the floor and 38.1 percent (8-21) from beyond the arch. The Bulldogs out rebounded the Gaels 32-30.

Saint Mary's will return to the court on Tuesday night with a 7 pm home game against Cal State Bakersfield.