BILLINGS, Mont. — Saint Martin’s University men’s basketball continued its impressive midseason surge Saturday night, pulling away in the second half for an 87-68 road win over No. 23 Montana State Billings in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play.
After a back-and-forth first half, the Saints dominated the final 20 minutes, outscoring the Yellowjackets by 20 points. Saint Martin’s shot 54.5% from the field, its highest mark this year against a Division II opponent, and limited MSUB to just 31.7% shooting.
The victory extended Saint Martin’s winning streak to nine games and improved the Saints to 12-2 overall and 4-0 in GNAC action.
Montana State Billings jumped out to an early 14-6 lead behind a perfect start from the field, but Saint Martin’s quickly answered. A 9-0 run, capped by a pair of free throws from Kaden Hansen, tied the game at 14-14 midway through the opening half.
The Yellowjackets carried a 39-33 lead into the final minute of the half, but a Hansen 3-pointer and a layup by Anthony Simo trimmed the margin to 39-38 at the break. Hansen led the Saints with 10 first-half points, while Simo added eight.
Saint Martin’s took its first lead of the second half just 58 seconds in, as Hansen knocked down another 3-pointer.
An 8-0 run gave Saint Martin’s a 57-49 lead with just over 12 minutes remaining, highlighted by a Pablo Navarro 3-pointer and back-to-back baskets from Omer Ege Peksari. MSUB responded to cut the deficit to 59-58, but the Saints quickly regained control.
Saint Martin’s followed with a decisive 12-0 run, featuring 3-pointers from Hansen and Dae’Kwon Watson, to open up a 71-58 advantage with under six minutes to play. From there, the Saints cruised home, holding the Yellowjackets to just one field goal over the final nine minutes and stretching the lead to as many as 19 points.
Hansen led all scorers with 25 points, marking his sixth 20-point performance of the season. Watson finished with 18 points on efficient shooting, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc and a perfect 7-for-7 effort at the free-throw line. Navarro added 14 points, eight rebounds, and three blocks, while Simo chipped in 13 points. Peksari rounded out the effort with eight points, six assists, and four rebounds.
Saint Martin’s will return home to host Western Oregon on Jan. 10, with tipoff scheduled for 5:15 p.m.
