MORAGA, Calif. — Following the Christmas break, Saint Mary's (8-6) returns to the court on Saturday as they host San Jose State in the team's final non-conference game of the season.

GAME INFORMATION
Game No. 15 vs. San Jose State (3-8)
Date/Time: Saturday, Dec. 29 at 5:00 p.m. PST
Location: McKeon Pavilion (Moraga, Calif.)
TV: https://wccsports.com/watch/?id=154819
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: 43-38 (Last meeting: 11/19/17, H, SMC 79 — SJSU 61)

ABOUT SAN JOSE STATE
The Spartans are 3-8 to begin the 2018-19 campaign but are 2-2 in their previous four. SJSU defeated Bethune-Cookman and Northern Arizona at home before falling to Stanford and Cal on the road, both by single digits. Head coach Jean Prioleau is in his second year at the helm of the Spartans.

Forward Michael Steadman leads the team's offense with 13.7 points per game and is nearly averaging a double-double with 9.7 rebounds. Steadman has scored at least 10 points in all but one game this season.

Brae Ivy is SJSU's second-leading scorer at 12.8 per game and is also averaging nearly five assists. Sophomore Noah Bauman is the Spartan's resident sharpshooter as he's nailed 57 percent of this 3-pointers this season.

The Gaels and Spartans have met 81 total times in program history with Saint Mary's taking 43 of those decisions. Since Randy Bennett took over the program in 2001, SMC has defeated SJSU all seven times the teams have played.

LAST TIME OUT
Saint Mary's (8-6) showed heart fighting back late at E.A. Diddle Arena against Western Kentucky but came up just shy of a comeback as they fell 71-86.

Malik Fitts and Jordan Ford powered the Gaels' offense by combing for 54 of SMC's 68 points. The duo shot 21-of-39 from the field and 5-of-7 from deep. For Fitts, it was his third 20-plus point contest this year and second-highest total in 2018. The Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. native also grabbed 12 boards for his third double-double this season.

With under a minute to play, Saint Mary's rallied to once again make it a one-possession game.  Down by nine, Ford made three consecutive layups and the Gaels' defense was able to force two turnovers late to get the ball with 14 seconds to play while trailing by just three.

On the inbounds, Saint Mary's had three shot attempts bounce off the rim and Tanner Krebs launched one final 3-point try as time expired but his attempt also clanked off the back iron.

Five of the Gaels' six losses this season have come by six points or less.