Saint Mary’s advances with win over Portland

By Brett Okamoto (contact)

Monday, March 9, 2009 | 7:18 a.m.

The highly anticipated return of Saint Mary’s sophomore guard Patrick Mills had a happy ending for the Gaels as they defeated Portland 71-61 in Sunday’s West Coast Conference Tournament semifinals at the Orleans Arena. Mills had missed nine straight games because of a broken right hand he injured in January.

“It felt good, there were times where I tried to baby it a bit,” Mills said. “But I think it’s about being confident and knowing that it’s going to be fine. It just felt good to be out with the boys again and to enjoy the win.”

Mills, the team’s leading scorer, might have been a little rusty in his first game back but it was hard to tell, as both teams suffered through offensive troubles in the first half. They combined for 21 turnovers and shot just 4-of-13 from the free throw line on their way to a 24-24 tie at halftime.

“I was proud of the guys to hang in there after the way the first half went,” said Portland coach Eric Reveno. “There was no rhythm at all, it was pretty sloppy.”

Mills, who averaged 18.7 points before the injury, finished with 12 points on 3-of-12 shooting from the floor. Although he didn’t start, he played 35 minutes and will possibly start in the tournament championship game today against Gonzaga.

“Pat played about the way I thought he would,” said Saint Mary’s coach Randy Bennett. “He shot really well early on and then I think some fatigue in his wrist kicked in. But he gives us so much defensively in transition. He does stuff that’s unique to him and makes us better.”

Senior Diamon Simpson proved to be the biggest difference for the Gaels, scoring 11 of his 15 points in the second half, helping Saint Mary’s build a late 13-point lead. He also grabbed 14 rebounds and made six steals.

For Portland, junior Nik Raivio’s 15 points helped keep the Pilots close before a late 8-0 run by the Gaels put the game out of reach. Junior T.J. Campbell added 12 points, going 4-for-4 from beyond the arc.

“I thought it went back and forth pretty well for the most part until right around the last six or seven minutes,” Raivio said. “They were able to create some late turnovers on us.”

The Gaels are getting their star back at just the right time, as they’ll face a Gonzaga team that finished the regular season with a perfect record in conference play. Although Saint Mary’s won six of those nine games without Mills, there’s no doubt the Austrailian player gives them a better shot at earning an NCAA Tournament bid.

“I think his leadership coming back really helps us on the court,” Simpson said. “We’re glad he’s back, you can feel it in the locker room. He gives us a lot of energy.”