Gonzaga entered the matchup two games back of the No. 1 spot in the West Coast Conference standings. Saint Mary’s came in with an opportunity to widen that gap in pursuit of back-to-back WCC regular season titles. Both are in need of as many high-quality wins as they can collect before their postseason resumes are dissected and analyzed by the NCAA Tournament selection committee on Selection Sunday.
It just wouldn’t be Bulldogs-Gaels if there weren’t some kind of stakes at hand, and Saturday’s anticipated showdown between WCC heavyweights was no different.
Saint Mary’s tightened its grasp on the league’s No. 1 spot in the standings after taking down Gonzaga in a 62-58 final from University Credit Union Pavilion in Moraga, California. The Zags bounced back from a 14-point deficit early on to lead by four with less than 10 minutes to play in the second half, however, the Gaels capitalized on a handful of offensive rebounds down the stretch to hang on for their 10th consecutive win to start WCC play. Mikey Lewis led the way for Saint Mary’s with 16 points, including a 3-pointer that put his team ahead 56-51 with 4:44 to play, while Graham Ike led the Bulldogs with 24 points. The 6-foot-9 forward had a chance to give his squad the lead with 5 seconds remaining, but came up short on a 3-point attempt from the corner.
As such, Saint Mary’s rightfully owns the No. 1 spot in our WCC basketball power rankings. Here’s a look at the rest following a wild weekend of college hoops on the West Coast.
Last result: W, 62-58 vs. Gonzaga (Feb. 1)
2024-25 record: 20-3, 10-0 WCC
Stat to know: The Gaels’ 10-game winning streak is the fourth-longest active streak in the country. During that stretch, they rank No. 1 in the country in offensive rebound rate (43.4%) and top 10 in adjusted defensive efficiency (91.4, ninth-best).
Up next: Thursday at San Francisco, 6 p.m., ESPN2
Last result: L, 62-58 at Saint Mary’s (Feb. 1)
2024-25 record: 16-7, 7-3 WCC
Stat to know: Gonzaga fell to Saint Mary’s despite the Gaels shooting 38.2% from the field while going 11-of-22 from the free-throw line. It was the Bulldogs’ first loss in which their opponent shot below 40% from the field while missing 10 or more free throws in the process since the 2017 National Championship game, when North Carolina went 35.6% from the field and 15-of-26 from the free-throw line.
Up next: Thursday vs. Loyola Marymount, 6 p.m., ESPN+ (KHQ)
Last result: W, 75-51 vs. Washington State (Feb. 1)
2024-25 record: 18-6, 8-3 WCC
Stat to know: The Dons held the Cougars to a season-low 4-of-24 (16.7%) from downtown in their matchup at the Hilltop. San Francisco is allowing its opponents to shoot just 16.9% from deep over its last five games since Jan. 16, which ranks No. 1 in the country in 3-point field goal defense during that span.
Up next: Thursday vs. Saint Mary’s, 6 p.m., ESPN2
Last result: L, 98-60 at Gonzaga (Jan. 28)
2024-25 record: 16-7, 6-4 WCC
Stat to know: Michael Rataj ranks No. 3 in the WCC in scoring with 18.0 points per game. The 6-foot-9 junior has recorded eight double-doubles this season.
Up next: Thursday vs. WSU, 8 p.m., ESPN2
Last result: W, 83-49 vs. Pacific (Feb. 1)
2024-25 record: 15-9, 7-4 WCC
Stat to know: The Broncos limited the Tigers to score just 20 points in the first half of their matchup from the Leavey Center. That’s the fewest points Santa Clara has allowed in a first half since Dec. 2, 2020, when they limited CSU Bakersfield to just 11 points.
Up next: Thursday at Portland, 7 p.m., ESPNU
Last result: W, 78-62 at San Diego (Feb. 1)
2024-25 record: 14-8, 6-4 WCC
Stat to know: With their victory over the Toreros, the Lions have won five WCC games in a row for the first time since 1991.
Up next: Thursday at Gonzaga, 6 p.m., ESPN+ (KHQ)
Last result: L, 75-51 at San Francisco (Feb. 1)
2024-25 record: 15-9, 5-6 WCC
Stat to know: The Cougars put up a season-low in points (51), made field goals (19), 3-pointers (four) and assists (11) during their 24-point loss to the Dons.
Up next: Thursday at Oregon State, 8 p.m., ESPN2
Last result: W, 84-64 at Pepperdine (Feb. 1)
2024-25 record: 8-16, 3-8 WCC
Stat to know: The Pilots knocked down 13 3-pointers against the Waves, tying a season-high, while going 30-of-52 (57.8%) from the field overall. Portland’s 67.6% effective field goal percentage marked a new season-best for the Pilots.
Up next: Thursday vs. Santa Clara, 7 p.m., ESPNU
Last result: L, 84-64 vs. Portland (Feb. 1)
2024-25 record: 9-14, 3-7 WCC
Stat to know: Stefan Todorovic’s 17-game streak of scoring in double-figures was snapped in a 6-point performance during the Waves’ loss to the Pilots. The 6-foot-8 senior is No. 2 in the league in scoring at 18.4 points per game.
Up next: Saturday at WSU, 3 p.m., ESPN+
Last result: L, 83-49 at Santa Clara (Feb. 1)
2024-25 record: 7-18, 2-9 WCC
Stat to know: Elias Ralph is tied for 28th in the country with eight double-doubles and fifth in the WCC in scoring at 16.5 points per game.
Up next: Thursday vs. San Diego, 7 p.m., ESPN+
Last result: L, 78-62 vs. LMU (Feb. 1)
2024-25 record: 4-20, 1-10 WCC
Stat to know: Steven Jamerson II recorded the Toreros’ first double-double since Jan. 2 while posting a career-high 15 rebounds to go along with 11 points in the team’s loss to the Lions.
Up next: Thursday at Pacific, 7 p.m., ESPN+
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