MONMOUTH, Ore. – In a magical season for Saint Martin's, the first GNAC Championship appearance, the first NCAA tournament berth, and first NCAA tournament victory, came to close with a 77-55 loss to Western Oregon. For the fourth time this season, the Saints were unable to break the Wolves' defense and conquer the Regional powerhouse.
 
The Saints (25-8) were able to hold the Wolves' (31-1) 3-point shooting in check during the first half, limiting them to 1-of-15. However, WOU found their stroke in the second half, hitting eight 3-pointers, along with dominating the battle on the boards, led to Western Oregon's second Sweet 16 berth in three years.
 
Turnovers were a problem for both teams in the early goings, combining for five turnovers in opening four minutes. Baskets by Luke Chavez and an offensive put back by Rhett Baerlocher put the Saints on top 6-4 with 14:00 left in the first half.
 
The best 3-point shooting team in the GNAC this season, the Saints went nearly nine minutes without one. EJ Boyce, who led the Saints in the first round with 19 points, connected on one way outside the arc. Followed by a basket by Tavian Henderson, SMU extended their lead to 13-8 at the 10:30 mark.
 
WOU knocked down the next two baskets to pull within one point, but a layup by Jordan Kitchen pushed it back out to three points entering the under eight media timeout.
 
In the final minutes of the first half, defense continued to be strong on both sides, with neither team finding their rhythm beyond the arc. The Saints finished 1-for-8 while Western Oregon was 1-for-15 in the half. However, Western Oregon was able to get the ball down low and take a 21-19 lead into halftime.
 
Western Oregon jumped out to a 10-2 run to open the second half, gaining their largest lead of the game  at 31-22. Chavez stopped the run with the second 3-pointer of the game for SMU at the 15:45 mark. The Saints continued to chip away at the Wolves' lead; baskets by Chavez, BJ Standley, and Jared Mathews brought the Saints to within one possession.
 
However, the Wolves responded with force, outscoring the Saints by 10 points over the next four minutes, resulting in a 45-33 lead. Two baskets by Saint Martin's brought the game back to single-digits, but Western Oregon kept the pressure on by hitting a 3-pointer and pulling the lead out to 54-40 with 6:27 left.
 
In the closing minutes, Western Oregon pulled away, knocking down their shots from the outside, while gathering the offensive rebounds. The Saints season came to an end with the 77-55 loss on Saturday night.
 
Chavez led all scorers with 17 points, shooting 6-for-13 from the field and 3-for-6 beyond the arc. Baerlocher added eight points and five rebounds. In his final game of his collegiate career, Matt Dahlen finished with 11 points, two rebounds and two assists.

The Saints as a team shot 22-for-49 (44.9 percent) from the field, 5-for-18 (27.8 percent) beyond the arc, and 6-for-8 (75.0 percent) at the free throw line. The Saints recorded 23 rebounds, seven assists on 14 turnovers, along with four steals and one block.