Halftime Report
Only one more half stands between Saint Mary’s and the win they were favored to collect coming into this evening. They have a bit of a cushion as they currently lead Pacific 34-17.
If Saint Mary’s keeps playing like this, they’ll bump their record up to 11-3 in no time. On the other hand, Pacific will have to make due with a 5-10 record unless they turn things around (and fast).
Who’s Playing
Pacific Tigers @ Saint Mary’s Gaels
Current Records: Pacific 5-9, Saint Mary’s 10-3
How To Watch
What to Know
Tigers fans better hope the squad plays one heck of a game on Saturday as the odds are decidedly against them. They and the Saint Mary’s Gaels will face off in a West Coast battle at 8:00 p.m. ET at University Credit Union Pavilion. The Tigers are no doubt hoping to put an end to an 18-game streak of away losses dating back to last season.
The experts predicted Pacific would be headed in after a win, but Idaho made sure that didn’t happen. Pacific’s bruising 95-72 loss to Idaho on Saturday might stick with them for a while.
Pacific’s defeat came about despite a quality game from Lamar Washington, who earned 14 points plus six assists and five rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Elias Ralph, who posted 18 points plus seven rebounds.
Even though they lost, Pacific was working as a unit and finished the game with 17 assists. The team’s really been improving in that area: they’ve now improved their assist total in three consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Saint Mary’s entered their matchup against Utah State on Sunday without any home losses, but there’s a first time for everything. Saint Mary’s took a 75-68 hit to the loss column at the hands of Utah State. While the oddsmakers failed to call the winner, they nailed the 143 point over/under.
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Mitchell Saxen, who went 7 for 11 en route to 18 points plus six rebounds and three steals. Luke Barrett was another key player, posting eight points in addition to seven rebounds.
Pacific’s loss dropped their record down to 5-9. As for Saint Mary’s, their defeat ended a seven-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 10-3.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Pacific has crashing the boards this season, having averaged 38.6 rebounds per game. However, it’s not like Saint Mary’s struggles in that department as they’ve been averaging 40.5. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we’ll see if one team can grab an edge.
Pacific took a serious blow against Saint Mary’s in their previous meeting back in February, falling 84-43. Can Pacific avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We’ll find out soon enough.
Odds
Saint Mary’s is a big 22-point favorite against Pacific, according to the latest college basketball odds.
The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Gaels as a 21.5-point favorite.
The over/under is 138.5 points.
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Series History
Saint Mary’s has won 9 out of their last 10 games against Pacific.
- Feb 06, 2024 – Saint Mary’s 84 vs. Pacific 43
- Jan 25, 2024 – Saint Mary’s 76 vs. Pacific 28
- Feb 23, 2023 – Saint Mary’s 83 vs. Pacific 52
- Feb 25, 2021 – Saint Mary’s 58 vs. Pacific 46
- Feb 15, 2020 – Saint Mary’s 71 vs. Pacific 63
- Jan 04, 2020 – Pacific 107 vs. Saint Mary’s 99
- Feb 21, 2019 – Saint Mary’s 58 vs. Pacific 32
- Feb 07, 2019 – Saint Mary’s 78 vs. Pacific 66
- Jan 20, 2018 – Saint Mary’s 72 vs. Pacific 69
- Jan 04, 2018 – Saint Mary’s 74 vs. Pacific 56
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