By: Evan O'Kelly, Associate Commissioner for Communications
PORTLAND, Ore. – Showing no signs of rust coming off a 13-day break from action, the Saint Martin’s men’s basketball team passed a tough road test with flying colors to earn the Athletic Solutions Great Northwest Athletic Conference Team of the Week award.
Extending their winning streak to nine games in a row, the Saints rung in the new year by topping Seattle Pacific 73-67 last Thursday before running away from No. 23 Montana State Billings 87-68 last Saturday. The two triumphs improved SMU to 12-2 on the season and left it as the lone unbeaten team in conference play with a perfect 4-0 record in the GNAC standings. “We had a long break and these first few days back we dealt with an unfortunate injury situation,” said SMU head coach
Aaron Landon. “More than anything I’m proud of some guys for stepping up for us and growing in their roles.”
Pablo Navarro averaged 11.5 points and 11.0 rebounds in last week's victories.
Among those called upon in accelerated roles last week were junior forwards
Anthony Simo and
Pablo Navarro, and both delivered in big ways. Navarro ripped down a game-high 14 rebounds in 20 minutes off the bench against the Falcons, just missing a double-double with nine points as well. Simo followed with season highs of 13 points and eight rebounds in the Saints’ win over the nationally ranked Yellowjackets on Saturday. “Those guys had to take on an increased role, and both really answered the bell for us,” Landon said on the duo. “Pablo came off the bench and gave us tremendous toughness and energy, especially on the glass. He was huge for us. Anthony was really important for us defensively and I thought he really stepped up against some high level bigs in both games. He had to step into a starting role and he did an awesome job with that.”
The Saints also received key performances from their usual workhorses, including 40-minute efforts from
Dae’Kwon Watson in the SPU game and
Kaden Hansen in the MSUB game. Watson helped fuel a come-from-behind win over the Falcons, scoring a game-best 21 points as SMU erased a halftime deficit and out-paced SPU 40-31 over the final 20 minutes. After shooting just 33.3 % (11-for-33) in the opening half, SMU improved its efficiency to hit at 45.2 % (14-for-31) in the second and ultimately win the game. The Saints’ defense improved simultaneously, as SPU went from shooting 48.2% (13-for-27) in the first to just 36.7% (11-for-30) in the second. “We were better defensively in the second half, and that first game back after a big break is really tough,” Landon said. “Our guys found a way to get better as the game went on.”
Kaden Hansen leads Saint Martin's with 16.7 points per game in 2025-26.
It was a similar story on Saturday, as the Saints trailed the Yellowjackets 39-38 at the break before storming to a 49-29 runaway in the second half. SMU made 12 of 26 threes (46.2%) in the game and shot a red-hot 54.5% (30-for-55) overall, while out-rebounding the ‘Jackets 39-36. “Billings is a really good team and we really admire the toughness that they play with together,” said Landon. “They are very well coached. We had a big challenge on our hands in the second half, and I thought offensively that we did a good job dealing with their press. We did a better job taking care of the ball in the second half.”
Hansen led all players with 25 points including five 3-pointers, finishing one point off his season high. Overall it was Hansen’s sixth 20-point effort of the campaign, and he ranks sixth in the conference with 16.7 points per game. “He has continued to grow and I am super proud of him,” Landon said on Hansen. “He missed all of last season with an injury. In dealing with that, he has found a way to continue to get better. He has gotten smarter and tougher, and he still has a lot of room to grow. His story is one of resilience and hard work, and he has made himself into a much better player.”
Watson ranks second on the team and ninth in the GNAC with 16.0 points per game, and his team best 2.3 steals per game rank him second in the conference. The senior had his first season at SMU cut short after eight starts in 2024-25, but appears to be finding his stride having reached double digits in points in each of the last six contests. “He has become our engine,” Landon said on Watson. “He is a guy who leads, communicates and backs it all up by really competing on both sides of the ball. I think he is one of the best defenders in the GNAC and he has continued to blossom into a really explosive offensive player. His leadership has really grown this year.”
Sophomore forward
Diego Trejo-Delgado and junior forward
Mark Clegg Jr. have each provided a spark primarily in starting roles, ranking third and fourth on the team with 14.0 points per game and 9.6 points per game, respectively. “Diego has been a focal point for us offensively and he is learning how to help us in different ways,” said Landon. “Mark has brought tremendous energy and versatility to our program. He is our type of player with his ability to do whatever the team needs him to.”
Facilitating the offense is true freshman
Patrick Kilfoil, who leads the squad with 2.43 assists per game while averaging 20.2 minutes across 12 starts. The 2025 graduate of Portland’s Jesuit High School is in the top-10 in the conference in assist/turnover ratio (2.13) and is chipping in 7.0 points per game. “Pat is a great kid who is loved by his teammates,” Landon said. “It’s really hard to play the point guard position as a freshman. He is learning every day and is going to continue to get better.”
True freshman Patrick Kilfoil has facilitated the Saints' offense from the point guard position this winter.
Aaron Landon.
The Saints will look to keep their momentum going with a stretch of three straight home contests across the next two weeks. First up is Western Oregon (5-8, 0-4) this Saturday at Marcus Pavilion with tipoff scheduled for 5:15 p.m. The Saints will then host Western Washington (7-8, 1-3) on Jan. 15 (7 p.m. PT) and Simon Fraser (4-10, 1-3) on Jan. 17 (7 p.m. PT). “Every single game in the GNAC is hard, and anybody can beat anybody,” Landon said. “We are trying to figure out a way to get a little bit better and a way to play tough against Western Oregon this week.”
Success has followed Landon across his seven seasons in charge in Lacey, Wash., as he delivered back-to-back GNAC regular-season titles in 2022 and 2023. Since taking over in the 2019-20 season, he has posted an overall record of 102-71 (.590) including 53-42 (.558) in conference play.
GNAC Team of the Week presented by Athletic Solutions
Athletic Solutions was introduced as an official partner of the GNAC on Dec. 8, 2025 and it will sponsor the GNAC Team of the Week award. Athletic Solutions is a national leader in NIL fan engagement and e-commerce technology, collaborating with colleges and universities to bring NIL Locker Rooms to life. Its platform simplifies NIL opportunities, providing student-athletes with the tools and exposure needed to thrive in the evolving landscape of college athletics.