Saint Mary's is used to winning games with its offense. But the No. 23 Gaels' defense did the job in a 61-47 win over Pepperdine on Thursday.
Saint Mary's held Pepperdine to 21 points in the first half, and to 40.9 percent shooting on the evening, and also forced 17 turnovers by the Waves. Rob Jones had 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Gaels, and was joined in double figures by Matthew Dellavedova and Stephen Holt, who had 13 and 12 points, respectively.
The Waves never led, and allowed Saint Mary's to close on an 11-3 run in the final 7:08. Guards Caleb Willis and Jordan Baker had 14 and 13 points for Pepperdine, which got zero points from its bench.
The Gaels, who have lost twice on the season, and once to top-five outfit Baylor, improved to 7-0 in West Coast Conference play.
For more on college basketball, head to SB Nation's college basketball hub.