Men's Basketball Hits Late Free Throws to Secure Win

LAS VEGAS, Nev. — A game of runs ended on the plus side for the St. Mary's University Men's Basketball team at the D2 Holiday Hoops Classic on Thursday afternoon as they defeated previously unbeaten Missouri S&T, 65-52, inside the South Point Arena.
 
Junior guard Damani Claxton (Bronx, N.Y.) poured in a career-best 23 points, bettering his previous high of 21 from the team's win at Lubbock Christian on Nov. 23. He was a perfect 4-for-4 at the free throw line, helping the Rattlers (6-3) make their final eight over the last 3:25 of the contest to keep the Miners (7-1) at bay. Claxton also led the game with five assists.
 
Senior forward Lachlan Bofinger (Sydney, Australia) joined Claxton in double figures and recorded his fourth double-double of the year with 12 points and a game-high 13 rebounds. He also blocked two shots and had a game-high tying three steals. Freshman Lawyer Jones (Waco, Texas) had a career-best three steals.
 
The Miners missed their first 11 shots from the field, hitting their first basket at 11:56 on a layup, but the Rattlers had built only a 6-2 advantage over the first eight minutes, starting 3-of-12 themselves. With four minutes remaining in the first half, Missouri S&T had built a four-point lead, 21-17, but StMU closed on a 11-2 run for the 28-23 advantage at the break.
 
The Rattlers came out on fire in the second half, scoring 15 of the first 17 to build an 18-point lead, 43-25 with 13:33 to play. The Miners answered with a 12-point run of their own to cut the lead to six, 43-37 with 8:57 remaining. StMU once again had an answer, scoring seven of the next 10 to push the lead back to 10 with 6:57 on the clock. With 3:03 left, S&T had once again trimmed its deficit to four on a kickout three-pointer off an offensive rebound, but another 10-point Rattler run shut the door on any hopes of a comeback.
 
St. Mary's forced the Miners into 21 turnovers, notching 10 steals on the afternoon, while the Rattlers turned the ball over only 11 times. The defense also held the Miners second-leading scorer, Ryan Sroka, without a point, as he was 0-for-11 from the floor.
 
Both teams struggled from the three-point line, combining to shoot 7-for-41. The Miners missed all 13 of their attempts from beyond the arc in the first half and made 4-for-11 in the second stanza.
 
All 10 Rattlers who played in the game brought down at least one board, though the team was out-rebounded for the first time all year, losing the battle of the boards, 46-to-39. Missouri S&T also grabbed 17 offensive rebounds, the most by an opponent in 2024-25.
 
St. Mary's concludes the D2 Holiday Hoops Classic on Friday against Western Washington. The opening tip is slated for 5:45 p.m. (CT). The Vikings face Lubbock Christian on Thursday evening.