No. 22 Saint Mary's bounces back from loss, thumps San Diego
MORAGA, Calif. (AP) Logan Johnson had 16 points, a career-high nine rebounds and five steals, and No. 22 Saint Mary's bounced back from its first loss in a month to beat San Diego 86-57 on Thursday night.
Tommy Kuhse scored 13 points and Alex Ducas added 12 for the Gaels (20-5, 8-2 West Coast Conference). Augustus Marciulionis, son of Hall of Famer Sarunas Marciulionis, scored nine.
Two days after losing to Santa Clara in its first game since entering the rankings, Saint Mary's dominated San Diego on both ends to give coach Randy Bennett his 15th 20-win season.
''Logan was inspiring tonight, just how hard he played that first half,'' Bennett said. ''He showed tremendous leadership by that. He's an elite defender. He's as good as anybody in this league. He just brought that intensity.''
The Gaels led by 21 at halftime, scored the first eight points coming out of the break, then went on another big run to extend its winning streak over the Toreros to 15.
Johnson provided the spark with his scoring and defense - and got a small red welt under his left eye to show for it.
''It was really important to get out to a good start tonight just for ourselves, our confidence,'' Johnson said. ''Before the game even started we came in here and were like, `We have to be the first team to punch somebody in the mouth. We can't just keep taking shots.'''
Marcellus Earlington had 14 points and eight rebounds for San Diego. The Toreros (13-12, 6-6) have lost three straight.
Saint Mary's started slowly, then pulled away once its defense settled in.
Johnson made steals on back-to-back possessions, ending one possession with a dunk and the other with a layup as part of a 17-1 run that put Saint Mary's ahead by 20.
''It starts with moving the ball, sharing the ball,'' Bennett said. ''We've just gotten a lot better there from Christmas until now.''
Josh Parrish scored on a driving layup to end San Diego's nearly eight-minute drought without a basket, but Kyle Bowen made a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from the left corner to give the Gaels a 42-21 lead.
JOHNSON'S RITUAL
Before every game, Johnson grabs an imaginary bag and takes it to every teammate and some staff members, asking them to put something into it.
''I've done it every game since I got here,'' Johnson said. ''I find it important to get everybody to throw something in the basket. They don't have to tell me what it is. It's somebody taking whatever they have and whatever they can give to the team and throwing it in that bag. We carry that bag on our shoulders.''
Bennett said he was unaware of the ritual.
''He doesn't ask me for anything,'' laughed Bennett. ''He just gives me a chest bump.''
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Beating San Diego won't erase the stain from Tuesday's loss to Santa Clara and probably isn't enough to keep the Gaels from falling out of the Top 25. Beating No. 2 Gonzaga on Saturday, however, could change things for Bennett's team.
BIG PICTURE
San Diego: The Toreros couldn't handle the Gaels' defensive pressure and it was costly. San Diego made two shots in a 13-minute span between the two halves and shot 37.3% for the game. One of the few bright spots was Terrell Brown-Soares, who had four blocks to give him 61 on the season.
Saint Mary's: A blowout over a conference opponent was just what the Gaels needed. It also allowed Bennett to rest his starters for most of the second half, which could be big heading into Saturday's game against conference-leading Gonzaga. Johnson was very active defensively and gave San Diego a night-long headache with his pass deflections and steals.
UP NEXT
San Diego: Hosts Pacific on Saturday.
Saint Mary's: Face No. 2 Gonzaga in Spokane on Saturday.
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Time | Team | Play | Score | |
---|---|---|---|---|
20:00 | Â | Terrell Brown vs. Matthias Tass (Logan Johnson gains possession) | Â | |
19:31 | Â | Augustas Marciulionis turnover (lost ball) (Terrell Brown steals) | Â | |
19:07 | +2 | Terrell Brown makes two point jump shot | 2-0 | |
18:44 | +2 | Augustas Marciulionis makes two point layup (Matthias Tass assists) | 2-2 | |
18:22 | Â | Marcellus Earlington misses two point step back jump shot | Â | |
18:20 | Â | Alex Ducas defensive rebound | Â | |
18:12 | Â | Augustas Marciulionis turnover (bad pass) (Wayne McKinney III steals) | Â | |
18:04 | Â | Alex Ducas shooting foul (Marcellus Earlington draws the foul) | Â | |
18:04 | +1 | Marcellus Earlington makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 3-2 | |
18:04 | +1 | Marcellus Earlington makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 4-2 | |
17:42 | Â | Logan Johnson misses three point jump shot | Â | |
17:40 | Â | Marcellus Earlington defensive rebound | Â | |
17:25 | Â | Terrell Brown misses two point turnaround jump shot | Â | |
17:23 | Â | Marcellus Earlington offensive rebound | Â | |
17:18 | Â | Marcellus Earlington misses two point putback layup | Â | |
17:16 | Â | Logan Johnson defensive rebound | Â | |
17:15 | Â | Logan Johnson misses two point driving layup | Â | |
17:13 | Â | Gaels offensive rebound | Â | |
17:10 | +2 | Tommy Kuhse makes two point reverse layup | 4-4 | |
16:42 | +3 | Josh Parrish makes three point jump shot (Marcellus Earlington assists) | 7-4 | |
16:27 | Â | Marcellus Earlington personal foul (Tommy Kuhse draws the foul) | Â | |
16:20 | +3 | Tommy Kuhse makes three point jump shot (Kyle Bowen assists) | 7-7 | |
16:02 | Â | Wayne McKinney III turnover (bad pass) (Tommy Kuhse steals) | Â | |
15:58 | Â | Wayne McKinney III shooting foul (Tommy Kuhse draws the foul) | Â | |
15:58 | Â | TV timeout | Â | |
15:58 | +1 | Tommy Kuhse makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 7-8 | |
15:58 | +1 | Tommy Kuhse makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 7-9 | |
15:41 | Â | Terrell Brown misses two point hook shot | Â | |
15:39 | Â | Alex Ducas defensive rebound | Â | |
15:31 | Â | Terrell Brown blocks Tommy Kuhse's two point pullup jump shot | Â | |
15:29 | Â | Terrell Brown defensive rebound | Â | |
15:22 | +2 | Joey Calcaterra makes two point driving layup | 9-9 | |
14:52 | Â | Gaels turnover (shot clock violation) | Â | |
14:37 | Â | Jase Townsend turnover (bad pass) (Logan Johnson steals) | Â | |
14:21 | Â | Logan Johnson misses three point jump shot | Â | |
14:19 | Â | Wayne McKinney III defensive rebound | Â | |
14:13 | Â | Augustas Marciulionis personal foul (Wayne McKinney III draws the foul) | Â | |
14:03 | Â | Joey Calcaterra misses two point pullup jump shot | Â | |
14:01 | Â | Logan Johnson defensive rebound | Â | |
13:52 | +3 | Alex Ducas makes three point jump shot (Kyle Bowen assists) | 9-12 | |
13:21 | Â | Vladimir Pinchuk misses two point hook shot | Â | |
13:19 | Â | Alex Ducas defensive rebound | Â | |
13:11 | +3 | Logan Johnson makes three point jump shot (Augustas Marciulionis assists) | 9-15 | |
12:41 | Â | Joey Calcaterra turnover (bad pass) (Logan Johnson steals) | Â | |
12:33 | +2 | Alex Ducas makes two point driving layup | 9-17 | |
12:32 | Â | Toreros 30 second timeout | Â | |
12:17 | Â | Matthias Tass personal foul (Marcellus Earlington draws the foul) | Â | |
11:56 | Â | Marcellus Earlington misses two point jump shot | Â | |
11:54 | Â | Joey Calcaterra offensive rebound | Â | |
11:49 | +2 | Terrell Brown makes two point dunk (Marcellus Earlington assists) | 11-17 | |
11:49 | Â | TV timeout | Â | |
11:29 | Â | Terrell Brown blocks Kyle Bowen's three point jump shot | Â | |
11:27 | Â | Kyle Bowen offensive rebound | Â | |
11:19 | Â | Tommy Kuhse misses three point jump shot | Â | |
11:17 | Â | Josh Parrish defensive rebound | Â | |
11:06 | +2 | Marcellus Earlington makes two point hook shot | 13-17 | |
10:43 | Â | Terrell Brown blocks Mitchell Saxen's two point layup | Â | |
10:41 | Â | Kyle Bowen offensive rebound | Â | |
10:34 | Â | Augustas Marciulionis misses three point jump shot | Â | |
10:33 | Â | Toreros defensive rebound | Â | |
10:16 | +2 | Josh Parrish makes two point layup | 15-17 | |
9:46 | Â | Logan Johnson misses two point jump shot | Â | |
9:44 | Â | Josh Parrish defensive rebound | Â | |
9:40 | Â | Tommy Kuhse personal foul (Marcellus Earlington draws the foul) | Â | |
9:27 | Â | Marcellus Earlington misses three point jump shot | Â | |
9:25 | Â | Logan Johnson defensive rebound | Â | |
9:17 | +2 | Matthias Tass makes two point layup (Tommy Kuhse assists) | 15-19 | |
8:59 | Â | Kyle Bowen blocks Marcellus Earlington's two point driving layup | Â | |
8:57 | Â | Kyle Bowen defensive rebound | Â | |
8:35 | +3 | Logan Johnson makes three point jump shot (Alex Ducas assists) | 15-22 | |
8:10 | +3 | Joey Calcaterra makes three point pullup jump shot | 18-22 | |
7:49 | Â | Marcellus Earlington shooting foul (Logan Johnson draws the foul) | Â | |
7:49 | Â | TV timeout | Â | |
7:49 | +1 | Logan Johnson makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 18-23 | |
7:49 | +1 | Logan Johnson makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 18-24 | |
7:38 | Â | Terrell Brown misses two point jump shot | Â | |
7:36 | Â | Alex Ducas defensive rebound | Â | |
7:21 | +2 | Tommy Kuhse makes two point driving layup | 18-26 | |
7:11 | Â | Terrell Brown turnover (lost ball) (Logan Johnson steals) | Â | |
7:05 | +2 | Logan Johnson makes two point dunk | 18-28 | |
6:49 | Â | Joey Calcaterra turnover (lost ball) (Logan Johnson steals) | Â | |
6:44 | +2 | Logan Johnson makes two point layup (Dan Fotu assists) | 18-30 | |
6:44 | Â | Toreros 30 second timeout | Â | |
6:19 | Â | Jase Townsend misses two point driving layup | Â | |
6:17 | Â | Alex Ducas defensive rebound | Â | |
6:07 | +2 | Alex Ducas makes two point layup (Dan Fotu assists) | 18-32 | |
5:49 | Â | Logan Johnson personal foul (Wayne McKinney III draws the foul) | Â | |
5:39 | Â | Matthias Tass shooting foul (Wayne McKinney III draws the foul) | Â | |
5:39 | Â | Wayne McKinney III misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | Â | |
5:39 | +1 | Wayne McKinney III makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 19-32 | |
5:24 | Â | Alex Ducas misses two point hook shot | Â | |
5:22 | Â | Mitchell Saxen offensive rebound | Â | |
5:14 | +2 | Mitchell Saxen makes two point putback layup | 19-34 | |
4:58 | Â | T.J. Berger misses three point jump shot | Â | |
4:56 | Â | Mitchell Saxen defensive rebound | Â | |
4:40 | +2 | Dan Fotu makes two point hook shot | 19-36 | |
4:11 | Â | Jase Townsend turnover (traveling) | Â | |
4:11 | Â | TV timeout | Â | |
3:45 | Â | Logan Johnson misses two point driving layup | Â | |
3:43 | Â | Mitchell Saxen offensive rebound | Â | |
3:39 | Â | Dan Fotu offensive foul (Vladimir Pinchuk draws the foul) | Â | |
3:39 | Â | Dan Fotu turnover | Â | |
3:20 | Â | Vladimir Pinchuk offensive foul (Tommy Kuhse draws the foul) | Â | |
3:20 | Â | Vladimir Pinchuk turnover | Â | |
3:02 | Â | Mitchell Saxen offensive foul (Wayne McKinney III draws the foul) | Â | |
3:02 | Â | Mitchell Saxen turnover | Â | |
2:43 | Â | T.J. Berger misses three point jump shot | Â | |
2:41 | Â | Logan Johnson defensive rebound | Â | |
2:36 | Â | Jase Townsend personal foul (Logan Johnson draws the foul) | Â | |
2:27 | Â | Jump ball. Alex Ducas vs. Terrell Brown (Toreros gains possession) | Â | |
2:27 | Â | Alex Ducas turnover (lost ball) (Terrell Brown steals) | Â | |
2:13 | Â | Wayne McKinney III misses three point jump shot | Â | |
2:11 | Â | Logan Johnson defensive rebound | Â | |
1:58 | Â | Wayne McKinney III personal foul (Tommy Kuhse draws the foul) | Â | |
1:55 | Â | Dan Fotu misses two point layup | Â | |
1:53 | Â | Mitchell Saxen offensive rebound | Â | |
1:40 | Â | Terrell Brown blocks Mitchell Saxen's two point hook shot | Â | |
1:38 | Â | Toreros defensive rebound | Â | |
1:28 | Â | Mitchell Saxen blocks Joey Calcaterra's two point driving layup | Â | |
1:26 | Â | Dan Fotu defensive rebound | Â | |
1:16 | Â | Dan Fotu misses three point jump shot | Â | |
1:14 | Â | Marcellus Earlington defensive rebound | Â | |
1:09 | Â | Marcellus Earlington misses three point pullup jump shot | Â | |
1:07 | Â | Dan Fotu defensive rebound | Â | |
1:02 | +3 | Alex Ducas makes three point jump shot (Tommy Kuhse assists) | 19-39 | |
0:39 | Â | Terrell Brown misses two point hook shot | Â | |
0:37 | Â | Toreros offensive rebound | Â | |
0:21 | +2 | Josh Parrish makes two point driving layup | 21-39 | |
0:02 | +3 | Kyle Bowen makes three point jump shot (Alex Ducas assists) | 21-42 | |
0:00 | Â | End of period | Â |