Busting Brackets
Fansided

Saint Mary’s Basketball: 2019-20 keys to victory for home matchup against BYU

By J.D. Caldwell

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 12: Head coach Randy Bennett of the Saint Mary's Gaels jokes with Jordan Ford #3 as they celebrate their 60-47 victory over the Gonzaga Bulldogs to win the championship game of the West Coast Conference basketball tournament at the Orleans Arena on March 12, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 12: Head coach Randy Bennett of the Saint Mary's Gaels jokes with Jordan Ford #3 as they celebrate their 60-47 victory over the Gonzaga Bulldogs to win the championship game of the West Coast Conference basketball tournament at the Orleans Arena on March 12, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 4
Next
Saint Mary's Basketball
HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT – MARCH 21: Eric Paschall #4 of the Villanova Wildcats controls the ball against Malik Fitts #24 of the Saint Mary’s Gaels (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

1. Saint Mary’s front line needs to stay out of foul trouble

There was nothing more key in the loss to Pacific than the entire Saint Mary’s starting front line fouling out.  6’8 Malik Fitts, 6’7 Dan Fotu, and 6’6 Tanner Krebs all fouled out of the game.  Fitts fouled out with 36 seconds in regulation, while Fotu and Krebs left in the first overtime stanza.

Fitts was the most crucial to Saint Mary’s Basketball.  He is the Gael’s second-leading scorer (15.8 ppg) and leading rebounder (8.0 rpg).  Krebs adds 10.7 ppg and 4.0 rpg.

Fotu has been elevated to the starting lineup to replace 6’10 sophomore Matthias Tass.  Tass tore his ACL in the 68-63 win over Nevada.  Fotu has been averaging 8.3 ppg since becoming a starter.  It is really quite remarkable that the Gaels were able to string the Pacific game out three more overtimes without their top four front line players.

Against BYU, losing their bigs to fouls would be a different story.  The Cougars boast their best player in the 6’8 senior Yoeli Childs.  Childs is a WCC Player of the Year candidate scoring 20.9 ppg and pulling down 10.1 rpg.

Fitts fouled out in back-to-back games against Dayton and California earlier this season.  In the loss against Dayton, the Gaels were going up against national Player of the Year candidate Obi Toppin.

The Gaels can’t get into foul trouble against the Cougars and expect to win on Thursday.