NCAA Basketball: Tennessee, Baylor, Illinois rise in latest top 25 power rankings
By Joey Loose
16. Saint Mary’s (21-6)
Back in November, things looked really different for a Gaels team that lost five of six games in a tough stretch, including home losses to Utah and Weber State. They quickly put that disappointing start in the rearview and have been on quite an incredible stretch in recent weeks, still sitting with a perfect record in the WCC. Suffice to say, that wasn’t exactly going to get challenged this week.
The only game on the slate for Saint Mary’s was a Thursday night battle against Pepperdine and the Gaels barely sweated. Staying at home in Moraga, they pummeled the Waves for a 103-59 victory, the first time this season they scored 100 points on a D1 opponent. Among the highlights were 28 points from Augustas Marciulionis and 18 points from Alex Ducas, while the Gaels shot 62% from the field and 63% from outside the arc.
Those offensive fireworks against Pepperdine represent just the latest in an incredible stretch. Saint Mary’s has now won thirteen games in a row and are playing their strongest basketball of the season against their conference rivals. They’ve already won at Gonzaga and put themselves in amazing position for a postseason run beyond the WCC. Their focus remains on their league for now, as they’ll host San Francisco and San Diego in the coming week.