The Saint Mary’s Gaels kicked off their 2010-2011 NCAA men’s basketball schedule in style with an 86-42 romp of NAIA power College of Idaho. The game was actually counted as an exhibition for College of Idaho but it counted as Saint Mary’s first regular season win.
The Gaels were led by a career effort from junior forward Clint Steidl, who scored a career-high 20 points. Steidl’s points came primarily from beyond the arc as he shot 6 for 14 from beyond the three point line. Alongside Steidl, Saint Mary’s received double digit points from Kenton Walker (14), Rob Jones (11), and Mitchell Young (10).
The most impressive performance of the day had to come from freshman guard Stephen Holt. In this his NCAA debut, also his starting debut, Holt filled the stat sheet with 9 points, 9 steals, and 5 rebounds. While the performance can be qualified by the fact that this was an NAIA team, it’s still a strong debut whatever the circumstances. If the Gaels can continue to get strong performances from Holt, they could be in pretty good shape going forward.
Saint Mary’s next game is Monday against the St. John’s Red Storm. The game is scheduled for an 11pm pacific tip at McKeon Pavilion as part of the ESPN College Basketball Tip-Off Marathon.