LOS ANGELES (Interstat) — In a West Coast Conference opener that tightened with every possession, Dillan Shaw’s clutch free throws with one second remaining sealed a 78-73 road victory for Saint Mary’s over Loyola Marymount on Sunday at Gersten Pavilion.

The game, witnessed by 1,546 fans, was a tale of two halves defined by scoring runs and resilient responses. After a first half that ended in a 33-33 deadlock, the Gaels appeared to seize control with a decisive surge after the break. A 13-3 run, ignited by a Shaw 3-pointer and fueled by interior play from Paulius Murauskas and Andrew McKeever, gave Saint Mary’s a 55-45 lead with 11:36 to play.

Loyola Marymount, led by a game-high 22 points from Rodney Brown, refused to capitulate. The Lions methodically chipped away, leveraging their defense to create opportunities. A 14-4 response, capped by consecutive driving layups from Jan Vide, who finished with 14 points, tied the game at 59-59 with 5:56 on the clock.

The final five minutes became a tense exchange of leads. Shaw, a Northridge, California native, hit a critical 3-pointer to put Saint Mary’s ahead 68-65 with 1:16 remaining. Myron Amey Jr. answered with a deep 3-pointer for the Lions, assisted by Brown, to knot the score at 70-70 with 53 seconds left.

Saint Mary’s guard Joshua Dent, who contributed 14 points and five assists, then sank a 3-pointer from the wing to give the Gaels a 73-70 edge with 35 seconds remaining. Amey, undeterred, came right back with another 3-pointer, his third of the game, to tie it at 73-73 with 22 seconds to play.

On the ensuing possession, the Gaels worked the clock before Rory Hawke connected on a 3-pointer from the corner with three seconds left, assisted by Shaw, to break the tie. Loyola Marymount’s attempt to advance the ball quickly ended in a turnover, as Shaw stole an inbound pass from Jalen Shelley. Fouled immediately with one second on the clock, Shaw calmly sank both free throws to provide the final margin.

Shaw finished with 18 points to lead a balanced Saint Mary’s attack. Murauskas added 13 points, while McKeever provided 12 points off the bench. The Gaels dominated inside, scoring 40 points in the paint compared to Loyola Marymount’s 36, and outrebounded the Lions.

For Loyola Marymount, Brown’s 22-point effort was supplemented by 13 points from Shelley and 11 from Amey. The Lions were more efficient converting turnovers, scoring 11 points off Gaels’ mistakes while Saint Mary’s managed only six.

The victory improved Saint Mary’s to 12-2 overall and 1-0 in WCC play, while Loyola Marymount fell to 9-5 and 0-1. The Gaels have now won four consecutive games since their last loss.

The most critical sequence of the game unfolded in the final half-minute. After Amey’s second clutch 3-pointer in under a minute had erased a Saint Mary’s lead and seemingly forced overtime, the Gaels executed under pressure. The designed play for Hawke, who had attempted only two shots in the second half, resulted in the go-ahead basket. The subsequent defensive play by Shaw to intercept the Lions’ desperate inbound pass effectively sealed the outcome, turning a potential overtime thriller into a narrow regulation victory for the visiting Gaels.