While prizes were handed out during Friday’s exhibition charity men’s basketball game, Saint Mary’s wasn’t in the mood to give away anything free on the court.
The preseason 23rd-ranked Gaels, picked in the West Coast Conference preseason coaches poll to finish ahead of perennial national contender and 11th-ranked Gonzaga, looked the part in a 92-58 victory over Hawaii in the Outrigger Charity Invitational on Friday night.
A SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center crowd of 3,923 had an opportunity to win prizes donated as part of the charity game that Hawaii coach Eran Ganot and Saint Mary’s coach Randy Bennett put together following the devastating August wild fires on Maui that killed at least 99 people. Net proceeds of the game will go to UH faculty, staff and students directly affected by the fires.
The teams met at midcourt pregame for a moment of silence to honor the victims of the Maui tragedy. UH President David Lassner and Gov. Josh Green were on hand as sports media personalities Neil Everett and Larry Beil were among those to throw out white Maui Strong t-shirts to the crowd.
Once the buzzer sounded, the vibe completely flipped. The exhibition felt like a midseason game as the Gaels took it to the Rainbow Warriors for 40 minutes.
Sophomore Aidan Mahaney, who made the All-WCC first team as a freshman, scored a game-high 25 points, and junior Augustas Marciulionis, son of Hall of Fame guard Sarunas, added 22 points and six assists, finishing one shy of UH’s assist total.
“Credit to Saint Mary’s. They’ve been great, they are great. They will be great,” Ganot said. “When you don’t bring it or have lapses, good teams make you pay, great teams try to kill you — and they are a great team.”
Saint Mary’s led by as many as 38 in the second half. Mahaney played 28 minutes and wasn’t subbed out until 5:05 remaining with the Gaels ahead by 37. Saint Mary’s shot 34-for-58 from the field (59%) and outrebounded Hawaii 31-20.
Hawaii was led by JoVon McClanahan’s 16 points. McClanahan, starting alongside Noel Coleman in the backcourt, hit the first two shots of the game on fadeaway jumpers, but it was all Saint Mary’s after that.
Justin McKoy, a North Carolina graduate transfer who also played at Virginia, added seven points, three rebounds and two assists in 20 minutes for Hawaii, which was held to 41% shooting (18-for-44) and assisted on seven of 18 made field goals.
Coleman was held without a point in 21 minutes.
“I was excited at first. It was fun to finally get a game in at Hawaii,” McKoy said. “At the same time it’s not at all how I wanted it to go. I know what we’re capable of. We just did not put that on display tonight.”
UH guard Juan Munoz, who suffered an Achilles injury in a preseason exhibition game against Hilo last year and missed the entire season, checked in for the first time at 14:11 left in the first half. He dd not attempt a shot in the first half and finished with two points in nine minutes.
Marciulionis had 14 of his points in the first half and hit a 3 to give the Gaels their largest lead of the opening 20 minutes at 46-24 with 1:11 remaining.
McClanahan buried a 3 as time expired to close to 46-29 at halftime.
“We got our teeth kicked in and the game is humbling,” Ganot said. “I can’t tell you how excited I am to see how we respond individually and collectively. That’s where you find out more about your group.”
The teams emptied their bench to play another 10-minute quarter after the 40-minute scrimmage was over.
Fans will have to wait more than three weeks to see UH play next against Hawaii Hilo on Nov. 14.