SAN ANTONIO — As the St. Mary's University Men's Basketball team turned up the defensive pressure in the game, so went the offense as they won 82-69 over College of Biblical Studies – Houston.
The Rattlers (3-1) used an 18-point run midway through the second half, thanks in part to six steals, to turn a three-point deficit (50-53) into a 15-point lead (68-53). Senior guard
Diego Gonzalez (Arecibo, Puerto Rico) led the way with four of the six steals and ended the night with five to tie his career high.
The 17 steals for the Rattlers on the night ties for the seventh most in St. Mary's history and is the most in a game since they had 19 against Regis on Nov. 14, 2015.
Senior
Lachlan Bofinger (Sydney, Australia) posted his second double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds, grabbing six on the offensive end of the floor. Senior
Keith Dinwiddie (Los Angeles) led the Rattlers in scoring with 16 points, while
Tyler Caron (Longview, Texas) added 15 and
Jalon Johnson (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) chipped in 13.
Johnson once again led the team with four assists and committed no turnovers in over 37 minutes of play. He now has an 18-to-4 assist-to-turnover ratio through the first four games of the year.
The Rattlers offense was a bit sluggish in the first half as they shot only 27.6 percent from the field (8-for-29), but shot significantly better in the second half, connecting on 48.5 percent (16-for-33). The two teams combined for 10 lead changes and four ties in the game, the last tie coming at 53-to-53 on a free throw by Caron.
The Rattlers turn their attention to Lone Star Conference action, playing at Western New Mexico on Thursday, Nov. 30 at 7:30 p.m. and Eastern New Mexico on Saturday, Dec. 3 at 3 p.m. They return home on Dec. 6 for a rematch with Midwestern State at 7:30 p.m.
