Vanderbilt Overpowers Saint Mary’s in Battle 4 Atlantis, 96-71
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Despite a valiant effort, Saint Mary’s fell to Vanderbilt 96-71 in the championship game of the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament on november 28, 2025. The Commodores, entering the contest boasting the nation’s second-best scoring offense, proved too much for the Gaels, dictating the pace and securing a decisive victory.
First Half Surge propels Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt showcased its offensive prowess early, jumping to a 4-0 lead in the opening minute. Saint Mary’s responded, tying the score at four apiece and maintaining a competitive margin, with the score sitting at 17-13 through the first eight minutes of play. However, the Commodores then unleashed a dominant 17-0 run over the next 3:25, extending their lead to 21 points. While the Gaels answered with a 14-5 run fueled by a pair of three-pointers from Mikey Lewis, Vanderbilt managed to maintain a 51-34 advantage at halftime.
Lewis led the Gaels’ offensive charge in the first half, contributing 16 points on 4-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc, while also securing three rebounds. Paulius Murauskas continued his consistent physical play,earning six trips to the free-throw line and converting all attempts,adding a pair of assists. Andrew McKeever, despite being limited to two points, led the team with four rebounds and three assists. The 51 points conceded in the first half marked the most Saint Mary’s had allowed in a half since a 82-77 victory over Santa clara during the 2023-24 campaign.
Gaels Fight Back, But commodores Maintain control
Despite the double-digit deficit, Saint Mary’s demonstrated resilience at the start of the second half, opening with a 10-2 run to narrow the gap to single digits. Unfortunately, vanderbilt consistently answered every Gaels basket, preventing a complete comeback. The Gaels managed to keep the deficit within 16 points for the first 12 minutes of the second half, but Vanderbilt ultimately pulled away with a closing 15-5 run.
The Gaels showed statistical improvements in the second half, shooting 46.2% from the field and 37.5% from three-point range, compared to 42.3% and 30.8% respectively in the first half. They also held the Commodores to 47.2% field goal percentage and 37.5% from three, an improvement from Vanderbilt’s 58.1% and 45.5% in the first half. However, the early hole proved too deep to overcome.
Murauskas and Lewis Lead Gaels in Defeat
Paulius Murauskas once again spearheaded the Gaels’ attack, finishing with 24 points, four rebounds, and a team-high three assists. He scored nearly half of his points from the free-throw line, converting 11 of 13 attempts. Mikey Lewis bounced back from a quiet performance the previous day, scoring 19 points on 4-of-7 shooting from three-point range, and adding five rebounds and a game-high six assists. both Murauskas and Lewis where named to the Battle 4 Atlantis All-Tournament team. murauskas averaged 21 points per game and shot 24-of-28 from the free-throw line, scoring in double figures in all three contests. Lewis averaged 13 points per game, despite being held to a season-low five points against Virginia Tech, and contributed on the boards with four rebounds per game and six assists. They were joined on the all-tournament team by Vanderbilt’s Jalen Washington, Tyler Tanner, and Tournament MVP Duke Miles.
The Gaels will now enjoy an eight-day break before returning to action on Sunday, December 7, against the Davidson Wildcats in Davidson, North Carolina. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 PM EST / 11 AM PST. Tickets for future home men’s basketball games are available here. #GaelsRise
