NCAA Basketball: San Diego State, Ian DuBose top mid-major performers of the week

Best Game – Pacific 107, Saint Mary’s 99 in 4 OT

This section was originally going to be about the double-overtime thriller between Wofford and UNC Greensboro where the Terriers upset the potential favorites in a tight race for the SoCon crown.

However, Pacific and Saint Mary’s decided to provide literally double the amount of overtime, so they moved to the top of the list. The Tigers upset the Gaels after the marathon affair to join Gonzaga as the only other 2-0 squad in West Coast Conference play, while also handing Saint Mary’s, thought to be the best challenger to the Zags, their first conference loss of the season.

Senior Jahlil Tripp was huge for Pacific, dropping 39 points, 11 rebounds, and three assists. He was 12-21 from the field and 14-19 from the free throw line in 52 minutes. Daniss Jenkins also had 20 points, Gary Chivichyan (19) and Jahbril Price-Noel (15) combined for 34 off the bench.

Saint Mary’s star Jordan Ford scored 36 points in 58 (!) minutes, but it wasn’t enough for the Gaels. Although the loss to Pacific was just a Q2 loss, Saint Mary’s will have to be careful down the stretch so as not to affect their seeding too drastically or even drop all the way out of at-large consideration in the worst-case scenario, such is life as a mid-major.