By Kellan King
Saint Marys wrapped up their trip to South Dakota today with a 72-59 win over South Dakota St. They were led by 25 points from Sophomore Alex Ducas, in addition to double digits from Jabe Mullins and Matthias Tass. The Gaels got off to a strong start, leading 25-7 around 10 minutes in. From there, they never looked back, and the lead never got below 12, and the Gaels comfortably wire to wire.
The Gaels were coming off a close win over Northern Iowa, where Tommy Kuhse hit the game winning jumper for SMC. The Gaels were able to overcome an off shooting night with hustle and grit to eek out a win.
In the first game of the tournament, the Gaels were not so fortunate. They shot only 1-18 from 3, and struggled to keep pace with Memphis as talented Sophomore guard Boogie Ellis scored 24 points. The Gaels just didn’t have the shooting stroke, and weren’t able to stay in the game.
Overall, I’d say the trip was a success. These are probably the 3 best teams SMC will face in the non conference slate, and SMC will come away 2-1. They some breakout games from young players, got their feet under them, and are starting to form a new identity without stars Jordan Ford and Malik Fitts.
insider-institute.com 