MORAGA, Calif. – Seattle University men’s basketball closed out a challenging two-game road swing against the West Coast Conference’s top teams with a 93-76 loss to Saint Mary’s on Sunday night at UCU Pavilion.
The Gaels (15-2, 4-0 WCC), who are receiving votes in the latest USA Today Coaches Poll, used a strong second frame to overcome a halftime deficit and extend their home winning streak to 19 games. The Redhawks (12-5, 1-3 WCC) dropped consecutive games for the first time this season.
Junseok Yeo led the Redhawks with a career-high 24 points, knocking down six three-pointers and providing a spark on both ends of the floor. Will Heimbrodt added 19 points and five blocks, while Maleek Arington chipped in 12 points and six rebounds as Seattle U shot 46.9 percent from the field.
The Redhawks shot better than 58% in the first half, including 6-of-11 from three (54.5%) and took a 44-39 lead into the break against the Gaels, who entered the game ranked first in the WCC in scoring defense and three-point field goal percentage defense, and second in field goal percentage defense.
Five different Redhawks hit from three in the frame as Seattle U led by as many as eight on three occasions before a buzzer-beating half court heave by Paulius Murauskas cut the spread to five, 44-39.
The Gaels would battle back in the second half, chipping away early before taking their first lead, 57-56, since the 5:45 mark of the first half on a Murauskas layup with 12:05 to play. The score would stay close until the final three minutes when Saint Mary’s closed things out on a 13-2 run.
Murauskas paced the Gaels with 30 points and 15 rebounds, while Dillan Shaw added 20 points and six assists as Saint Mary’s shot 54 percent from the floor and went 16-for-19 from the free-throw line.
Seattle U returns home briefly before heading back out to close out the three-game road stretch on Thursday, Jan. 8 at Oregon State. Tip off from Gil Coliseum in Corvallis, Ore., is 7 p.m. on ESPN+.
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