MBK | SMC, Stanford To Renew Century Old Rivalry
11/19/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
MORAGA, Calif. -- A Bay Area college basketball rivalry that dates back more than a century resumes Sunday when Saint Mary's hosts the Stanford Cardinal in McKeon Pavilion for the first time since 1988.
A limited number of tickets to Sunday's game are available for purchase through SMCGaels.com or by calling the SMC Athletic Ticket Office at (925) 631-GoTx (4689) during weekday business hours. Season, multi-game packages and specially priced group and team tickets are also available.
Gaels fans attending the game are encouraged to wear white, while the first 600 Gael Force students in attendance will receive a free t-shirt, complements of Shamrock Office Solutions. Sunday's game will serve as the annual Shamrock Office Solutions Classic that has been played for each of the last 12 seasons.
Sunday's game will be televised nationally by ESPNU with Steve Quis and Adrian Branch providing the live description of the game. Live video stream of the telecast is available for most viewers worldwide via the WatchESPN app by clicking here. A live audio stream, as well as live statistics, will also be available via GaelVision with SMC broadcaster Alex Jenson on the call.
Although the two programs have not met on the basketball court since 2002, the all-time series between Saint Mary's and Stanford includes 51 meetings dating back to the 1912-13 season. However, records indicate that since 1949 just five of the last 28 games have taken place at Saint Mary's.
As infrequent of a visitor the Cardinal have been, one of the five games between the two teams introduced a new era of Saint Mary's basketball to the bucolic Moraga campus.
On Jan. 21, 1978, Stanford coach Dick DiBiaso brought his Cardinal squad to Moraga to face Frank LaPorte's Gaels in the first-ever game in newly constructed McKeon Pavilion. Three days earlier, the Gaels played their final game in Madigan Gym, a thrilling 99-97 win over a star-studded Portland State side that featured eventual NCAA scoring champion Freeman Williams.
In front of an enthusiastic, sold out SMC crowd, the Gaels raced out to an 18-10 lead before leading rebounder Ken Jones suffered an ankle injury. LaPorte then switched from a fast-paced tactic to one that involved a more deliberate pace. Despite Nick Pappageorge's 17 points and Rick Bernard's 16, the Gaels missed its final three shots of the game, all potential final minute game winners, and fell 62-61.
Since that historic game, the two programs have met just seven times with the Gaels coming out victorious on three occasions. The last time the two teams played, 14th ranked Stanford earned a 76-58 win on Dec. 14, 2002 in Maples Pavilion.
Saint Mary's and Stanford feature two of the state of California's winning programs. The Gaels own the top winning percentage among Division I institutions in the state over the last decade, while Stanford ranks fourth and is second among programs in the Bay Area.
Saint Mary's enters Sunday's game with a 2-0 record after a pair of high-scoring victories to open the season. The Gaels defeated local Division II San Francisco State 80-56 in the opener on Friday, then won the battle of Lasallian institutions with a convincing 89-63 win over Manhattan on Monday night.
Sophomore guard Emmett Naar leads four Gaels with double-figure scoring averages. The Sydney, Australia native is averaging 21.0 points and 6.0 assists per game with 2.5 steals and an impressive .727 shooting percentage. He is also connecting from behind the 3-point arc at a high rate, making 67 percent of his 7.5 attempts per game.
Freshman Kyle Clark averages 11.0 points per game, while fellow Aussie Dane Pineau is scoring 10.5 points and grabbing a team-high 10.0 rebounds per contest. First year guard Stefan Gonzalez is scoring 10 points per game and went 4-for-5 from behind the 3-point arc in the Manhattan contest on Monday. Transfer Joe Rahon distributed 10 assists against the Jaspers and leads the team with 9.0 per game.
Stanford enters a Thursday night home game against SMU with a 2-0 record with high-scoring home wins over Green Bay (93-89, OT) and Charleston Southern (93-59). Led by eighth-year head coach Johnny Dawkins, the Cardinal return a veteran squad that features nine letterwinners and two starters from last year's team that finished with a 24-13 record and won its second NIT title in four seasons.
Following Sunday's game, the Gaels are off for Thanksgiving week before returning to competition on Sunday, Nov. 29 to host CSU Bakersfield. Tipoff against the Roadrunners is scheduled for 5 p.m.
FOLLOW ALONG
For up-to-date news, photos, videos and other features you can follow Saint Mary's College varsity athletic teams on Twitter (@SMCGaels), Instagram (@SMCGaels) and Facebook Facebook.com/SMCGaels. You can also watch great video on-demand highlights and features as well as most Gaels sporting events live via GaelVision on SMCGaels.com.
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A gift to the Gael Athletic Fund directly benefits Saint Mary's student-athletes. This allows them the opportunity to attain an education guided by our Catholic, Lasallian and Liberal Arts traditions while participating in a competitive athletic experience. Monies raised through the Fund will assist in funding scholarships, facilities, operating budgets and academic support.
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