Courtesy: Tod Fierner Ben Allen gets first double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds.
Moraga, CA - Upperclassmen, underclassman success leads Saint Mary's to their season opener win tonight against New Mexico State 100-68. This is the largest win since the Gaels beat Pepperdine last season 96-46, on January 17, 2009.
Having finished the 2008-09 season 28-7, and in the quarterfinals of the 2009 National Invitational Tournament, the Gaels came out confidently. Among the six returnees are Omar Samhan, Mickey McConnell and Wayne Hunter who started the final 11 games of the season and joined the opening lineup tonight against New Mexico State tonight, with Ben Allen and Matthew Dellavedova.
In his senior opener, Allen demonstrated his preseason work, as he earned multiple career-highs for the Gaels, with 17 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists, Allen posted his first double-double of his career.
Within the first 20 seconds of the game, Samhan took the lead for the Gaels with a strong finish in the paint. Saint Mary's continued to attack inside, scoring all but three of its first 11 points in the key, while holding New Mexico State to just two free throws.
Samhan and Allen fell into foul trouble early, giving Mitchell Young, a freshman from Queensland Australia his debut. After just seconds on the court Young scored a lay-up, and the Gaels went up 13-2.
The Aggies brought it back within six (20-14), but the Gaels quickly pulled away with their long range game, sinking three 3-pointers from McConnell, Hunter, and Allen.
Saint Mary's finished the first half 41-26 as they devastated New Mexico State's with a 57.1 field goal percentage and shot 41.7 percentage from behind the arc.
Australian freshman, Dellavedova was a quiet weapon in the first half with seven points, but he came out firing for the Gaels in the second, scoring the first eight points for SMC. Dellavedova went on to lead the Gaels in scoring, along with Hunter, both scoring 19 points. Dellavedova said, "it's good to get a win first off. We've all been working hard in practice, so it's good to get out there and go against someone else."
Continuing Dellavedova's spark, the Gaels shooting percentage didn't drop off from the first half and they continued on a 17-2 run to open the half. Hamidu Rahumn of New Mexico State battled to break Saint Mary's stream from the point, scoring seven straight points, six of them in the paint. Rahumn led the Aggies with 22 points.
Saint Mary's finished the game with a 52.3 field goal percentage and an impressive 46.2 three-point percentage. New Mexico State's head coach, Marvin Menzies, said, "super stars come and go, but the program stays the same and they've got a good program."
Hitting 100 points for the first time since February 18, 2008, the Gaels Head Coach Randy Bennett, played 12 players tonight. Bennett said he believes, "this team, more than some other teams we've had, is balanced."
Saint Mary's will take on the San Diego State Aztecs, this coming Monday the 20th at 11 p.m. in McKeon Pavilion.
Game Notes
The Gaels hit 100 points for the first time since February 18, 2008.
Ben Allen earned his first career double-double tonight, with 17 points, 10 rebounds, and added nine assists.
Matthew Dellavedova set a career-high in his freshman debut with 19 points.
Five Gaels finished the game in double digits
9-of-11 Gaels to get on the court scored at least two points.
SMC's five Aussie players tallied 40 of the Gaels' 100 points.
The Gaels played all 12 players that dressed tonight.
Courtesy: Tod Fierner
