By The Associated Press

SANTA CLARA — Mitchell Saxen’s 12 points helped Saint Mary’s defeat Santa Clara 67-54 on Wednesday night as the Gaels scored 30 consecutive points during a 13-minute stretch in the second half.

Saxen also contributed five rebounds for the Gaels (19-3, 9-0 West Coast Conference). Luke Barrett scored 10 points, going 4 of 11 (2 for 7 from 3-point range). Paulius Murauskas had nine points and shot 4 for 13, including 1 for 5 from beyond the arc.

The Gaels extended their winning streak to nine games.

The Broncos (14-9, 6-4) were led in scoring by Carlos Stewart, who finished with 24 points. Santa Clara also got 11 points and two steals from Christoph Tilly. Brenton Knapper also had six points.

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Saint Mary’s (CA) took the lead with 1:56 left in the first half and never looked back. Saint Mary’s pulled away with a 30-0 run in the second half for a 28-point lead. They outscored Santa Clara by 11 points in the final half, as Saxen led the way with a team-high nine second-half points.

Both teams next play Saturday. Saint Mary’s hosts Gonzaga and Santa Clara plays Pacific at home.