MBB | Gaels To Play in MGM Main Event and at Home This Week

Saint Mary's will play three contests this week including two in Las Vegas at the MGM Resort Main Event.

MORAGA, Calif. — Saint Mary's (3-0) will have an action packed week beginning Monday as they play three contests with two coming in Las Vegas and the final in Moraga.

GAME INFORMATION
Game No. 4 vs. Utah State (4-0)
Date/Time: Monday, Nov. 18 at 5:30 p.m. PST
Location: T-Mobile Arena (Las Vegas)
TV: ESPN Networks
Radio: https://tunein.com/radio/Saint-Marys-IMG-Sports-Network-s280256/
Live stats: http://www.statbroadcast.com/events/central.php?tid=695
Gaels' all-time head to head record: 4-5 (Last meeting: 11/15/12, A, SMC 67 - USU 58)

Game No. 5 vs. Arizona State/No. 15 Mississippi State
Date/Time: Wednesday, Nov. 20 at 5:30/8:00 p.m. PST
Location: T-Mobile Arena (Las Vegas)
Stream: https://bdglobal.inplayer.com/main-event/item.html?id=40368
Radio: https://tunein.com/radio/Saint-Marys-IMG-Sports-Network-s280256/
Live stats: http://www.statbroadcast.com/events/central.php?tid=695
Gaels' all-time head to head record: 1-0 (ASU), 1-1 (MSU)

Game No. 6 vs. Harvard (2-2)
Date/Time: Saturday, Nov. 24 at 6 p.m. PST
Location: McKeon Pavilion (Moraga, Calif.)
Stream: http://www.wccsports.com/watch/?id=152143
Radio: https://tunein.com/radio/Saint-Marys-IMG-Sports-Network-s280256/
Live stats: https://smcgaels.com/sidearmstats/mbball/summary
Gaels' all-time head to head record: 2-0 (Last meeting: 11/23/17, N, SMC 89 - HARV 71)

ABOUT UTAH STATE
The Gaels open the MGM Resorts Main Event against Utah State in the first round. The Aggies are off to a 4-0 start this season under first-year head coach Craig Smith. The team's most recent win was a 65-46 thumping over Utah Valley and it was the first time this year the team did not eclipse 94+ points in a game. The Aggies were 17-17 last season and 8-10 in Mountain West play.

Utah State's offense is led by junior guard Sam Merrill who is averaging 20.8 points through the first four games. Merrill is shooting 57 percent from the field, including 9-of-19 from distance, and is averaging four dimes to boot. Also scoring double-figures is Dwayne Brown Jr. who has scored 12.3 points per game off the bench.

The last time the two teams met was at Utah State in 2012 where Saint Mary's came away victorious 67-58. The Gaels have won three of the four matchups against the Aggies during Randy Bennett's tenure including a 75-64 win at Moraga in 2009 when USU was ranked No. 23.

ABOUT ARIZONA STATE/MISSISSIPPI STATE
Following their game against Utah State, Saint Mary's will play either Arizona State or Mississippi State in the second contest of the tournament.

Arizona State is currently 3-0 to begin their season after advancing to the NCAA Tournament last year. The Sun Devils had to fight Cal State Fullerton into double-overtime in Tempe in their season opener but have since had blowout wins over McNeese State and Long Beach State. The team received votes in the most recent Associated Press poll.

ASU is averaging over 90 points per game early on and have four players in double-figure scoring this season. Freshman guard Luguentz Dort leads all Sun Devil scorers' with 21.7 points per contest and also boasts 7.7 rebounds per game.

Mississippi State currently holds the No. 17 ranking in the national poll and is also undefeated to begin the season at 3-0. The Bulldogs beat Austin Peay by 28 points to begin their season and also made easy work of Hartford (77-59) and Long Beach State (79-51).

Guard Quinndary Weatherspoon leads the team with 21.4 points per game while Tyson Carter (14.3), Aric Holman (10.7), and Lamar Peters (10.0) are also reaching double-digits early on. Weatherspoon is shooting over 60 percent from the field this season and is averaging three steals and four boards per contest.

ABOUT HARVARD
The Crimson Tide are 2-2 in 2018-19 and are coming off a close two-point loss to Rhode Island on the road. Harvard is set to play at San Francisco on Wednesday, air quality permitting, before facing the Gaels on Saturday.

Chris Lewis is the top scorer for Harvard thus far and is averaging 15.8 points on 74 percent shooting from the field. The forward is also tallying over two blocks per game as part of the team's 4.5 block average through four games.

Saint Mary's has won both of it's all-time matchups against Harvard including last year's 18-point victory at the Wooden Classic. The other meeting came in 2012 as the Gaels pulled out a 70-69 win in McKeon Pavilion.

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