Numbers don't lie, but they definitely don't tell the whole story about Randy Bennett’s squad. If you just look at the raw scoring, you might think the Gaels are a bit of a snooze. They aren't dropping 90 points a night like some of those track-meet teams in the Big 12. But the st. mary's basketball stats reveal a program that is basically a masterclass in efficiency, ball control, and defensive suffocating.
They play at one of the slowest paces in the entire country. Honestly, it’s frustrating for opponents. They grind you down. Last season, the Gaels finished with a record of 29-6, going 17-1 in the WCC. You don't get to nearly 30 wins by accident. It’s all in the metrics.
The Defensive Wall by the Bay
Most people looking at the st. mary's basketball stats focus on the scoring, but the real magic is on the other side of the ball. Last year, they ranked 5th in the nation in points allowed, giving up just 61.1 points per game. That’s not just "good defense"—that's a total lockdown.
Mitchell Saxen was the anchor for that. He didn't just stand there being tall at 6'10". The guy was a vacuum. He averaged 7.9 rebounds and nearly 2 blocks a game, but his real impact was the "no-fly zone" he created in the paint. He won back-to-back WCC Defensive Player of the Year awards for a reason.
Interestingly, while the team isn't full of elite shot-blockers at every position, their defensive rebounding rate is usually through the roof. They finished 9th in the country in offensive rebounding and were top-20 in total rebounds. Basically, they don't give you second chances. You miss, they win.
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The Lithuania Pipeline is Still Humming
You can't talk about Saint Mary's without mentioning the international flavor. Augustas Marciulionis has basically been the engine of this offense. As a senior, he put up 14.2 points and nearly 6 assists per game.
What’s wild is his assist-to-turnover ratio. He ranked 18th in the country in that specific metric. In a system where every possession is treated like gold, having a point guard who doesn't cough up the rock is the difference between a Sweet 16 run and an early exit.
Then you've got Paulius Murauskas. He’s another Lithuanian export who stepped up big time, averaging 12.1 points and 7.7 boards. The chemistry between him and Marciulionis is almost telepathic at times.
Key Personnel Metrics (2024-25 Season)
Augustas Marciulionis: 14.2 PPG, 5.9 APG, 79.3% FT.
Mitchell Saxen: 10.8 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 1.3 BPG.
Paulius Murauskas: 12.1 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 45% FG.
Luke Barrett: 9.8 PPG, 6.8 RPG.
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It's a balanced attack. They don't have one guy taking 25 shots. Instead, they have four or five guys who can hurt you if you over-rotate.
Why the Advanced Metrics Love the Gaels
If you’re a KenPom junkie, you know Saint Mary's is a darling of the analytics community. They finished the 2024-25 campaign ranked 18th in KenPom’s overall ratings.
Why? Because their Adjusted Defensive Efficiency was 10th in the nation.
They also had an Adjusted Offensive Efficiency of 113.6, which was 51st. That might sound lower, but when you factor in how few possessions they actually have per game, that's incredibly high. They make their shots count. They shoot about 45% from the field as a team, but their effective field goal percentage (eFG%) is boosted by the fact that they are very selective about the threes they take.
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The Gonzaga Rivalry and the WCC Grind
The stats during the Gonzaga games are always the most telling. Last February, the Gaels beat the Zags 62-58. Look at that score. That’s a classic Randy Bennett game. They forced Gonzaga—a team that usually loves to run—into a half-court slugfest.
In that game, the Gaels won the rebounding battle by a significant margin. That's been the blueprint. If you can out-rebound the Zags and limit them to one shot per trip, you can beat them.
However, the WCC isn't a one-team race anymore. Teams like San Francisco and Santa Clara have been creeping up in the NET rankings. St. Mary’s lost a heartbreaker to USF 65-64 last year, proving that even a top-10 defense can get caught if the shots aren't falling.
Looking Forward: How to Track the Gaels
If you're trying to handicap their next game or just want to see if the system is still working, there are a few specific st. mary's basketball stats you should watch:
- Offensive Rebound Percentage: If they are north of 35%, they usually win.
- Turnover Margin: They rarely lose this battle. If they have more than 12 turnovers, they're in trouble.
- Opponent 3PT %: They run teams off the line. If an opponent hits more than 8 or 9 threes, it breaks the Gaels' defensive shell.
The program is heading into a new era with some conference realignment talk always in the background (like the Pac-12 rumors), but the identity remains the same. It’s slow. It’s physical. It’s efficient.
To truly understand this team, stop looking at the scoreboard and start looking at the "Points Per Possession" (PPP). That's where the real story of Saint Mary's basketball is written.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Analysts
- Watch the KenPom "AdjT" (Adjusted Tempo): Saint Mary's is almost always in the bottom 10. If a game starts speeding up, look for Randy Bennett to use his timeouts early to reset the pace.
- Track the "Lithuanian Connection": The scoring output of Marciulionis and Murauskas is the best bellwether for the team's ceiling.
- Focus on Quad 1 Wins: The Gaels often struggle with strength of schedule early in the year, so their NET ranking fluctuates. The mid-January stats are usually the first "real" indicator of their NCAA tournament seeding.