MORAGA, Calif. — Paulius Murauskas shone brightly with an impressive 24-point performance as Saint Mary’s secured a 71-51 victory over San Francisco on Thursday evening, marking their seventh consecutive win.

In addition to his scoring, Murauskas contributed five rebounds to the Gaels’ success (17-3, 7-0 in the West Coast Conference). Mitchell Saxen had a solid game as well, scoring 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting while also making 2-of-4 free throws, alongside five assists. Jordan Ross added 12 points, finishing 6-of-10 from the field.

The Dons (16-6, 6-3) were led by Carlton Linguard and Marcus Williams, both scoring 14 points in the contest.

Saint Mary’s took a 36-28 lead into halftime, with Murauskas contributing 12 points to the cause. The team then broke the game open in the second half, executing an impressive 18-3 run that transformed a slim one-point advantage into a commanding 16-point lead. Murauskas continued to lead the charge, adding 12 points in the second half alone.

The two teams are set to meet again on Saturday, with Saint Mary’s scheduled to face Washington State and San Francisco preparing to host San Diego.