Saint Marys Basketball: 2019-20 keys to victory for matchup against BYU

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

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) /

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HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT – MARCH 21: Jordan Ford #3 of the Saint Mary’s Gaels shoots against Collin Gillespie #2 of the Villanova Wildcats in the second half during the first round of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at XL Center on March 21, 2019 in Hartford, Connecticut. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

2. The Gaels need to get their shooting touch back

Saint Mary’s is ranked #9 in the nation in KenPom’s adjusted offensive efficiency at 113.0. The Gaels play with slow adjusted tempo that ranks #327 and the #345 average possession length of 20.0 seconds.

Coach Randy Bennett’s team likes to work for the good shot, as is evident from them shooting 41.4% from beyond the arc (best in the nation) and 50.4% on two-point attempts (#124). In addition, the Gaels take care of the ball with the seventh-best turnover percentage in the nation.

In the loss to Pacific, the Gaels only turned the ball over eight times in 60 minutes of play. However, Saint Mary’s shot only 38.3% on two-point attempts and 29.6% on three-pointers. Leading scorer, Jordan Ford, scored 36 points going 4 for 12 from beyond the arc, even though he is shooting 41.3% on the season from three-point land.

BYU’s defense is strong against the three-point shot. The Cougars are ranked #9 in the nation three-point shot percentage allowed at 26.9%.

The Gaels will need to take advantage inside the arc. BYU is ranked #213 on two-point percentage at 50.2%. Saint Mary’s will have to work their patient offense into Fitts or score with Ford on the penetration. The Gaels are ranked #54 in Haslametrics.com’s shooting proximity close to the basket. They will need to stick with that methodology Thursday night.