The Saint Mary's women's basketball team faces yet another challenging non-conference schedule in 2018-19
WBK | Gaels Announce Challenging Non-Conference Slate for 18-19
8/21/2018 5:27:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Saint Mary's Women's Basketball Schedule
MORAGA, Calif. — Another powerful, challenging non-conference slate awaits the Saint Mary's women's basketball team for the 2018-19 campaign, as the Gaels will face seven postseason teams from a year ago, four Pac-12 Conference teams and seven programs that logged more than 20 wins last season.
Saint Mary's (20-11, 13-5 West Coast Conference in 2017-18) will host four of those postseason teams from 2017-18. Defending Pac-12 Conference champion and Elite Eight participant Oregon will clash with the Gaels at McKeon Pavilion on Nov. 24 as part of SMC's annual Thanksgiving Classic on Nov. 23-24. Milwaukee will be there, too, after making it to the second round of last year's WNIT.
The Gaels will host East Bay rival and NCAA Tournament participant California on Dec. 8. The local rivals have battled to excitingly close results in each of the past three seasons. The year kicks off at home on Nov. 9 with SMC's season opener versus Wyoming, a 22-game winner in '17-'18 that reached the second round of the WNIT.
"We're excited about our schedule," said Saint Mary's head coach Paul Thomas. "It's a complete and total challenge. I believe this team can handle this schedule. I don't know if we'll be .500 or under .500, seven of those games are on the road, but it's a very good challenge for this team."
Saint Mary's will also travel to defending Big West Conference champion UC Davis on Dec. 17. The Aggies won 28 games last season and made it to the second round of the WNIT. The Gaels and Aggies have met every season for the last 11 years, with UC Davis winning three straight since 2015-16 that snapped a four-year SMC winning streak in the series.
The Gaels will participate in the Tulane Classic on Dec. 21-22 in New Orleans. Texas State, another postseason team from a year ago, awaits them in the tournament opener. The Bobcats went 23-10 last season, reaching the Sun Belt Conference Tournament championship game and qualifying for the WNIT. SMC will close the tournament against either host Tulane or Old Dominion.
"You should have a healthy schedule if you want to challenge yourself," said Thomas. "I've said it every year, I'll say it again since the day I took the job: that was one of our goals and I think we've met that goal every single year. We play a difficult non-conference schedule, we enjoy the difficult non-conference schedule, and I think that's what competitive people like to be a part of. That's a bragging thing for us. We go out and play the best and we're proud of that."
MORAGA, Calif. — Another powerful, challenging non-conference slate awaits the Saint Mary's women's basketball team for the 2018-19 campaign, as the Gaels will face seven postseason teams from a year ago, four Pac-12 Conference teams and seven programs that logged more than 20 wins last season.
Saint Mary's (20-11, 13-5 West Coast Conference in 2017-18) will host four of those postseason teams from 2017-18. Defending Pac-12 Conference champion and Elite Eight participant Oregon will clash with the Gaels at McKeon Pavilion on Nov. 24 as part of SMC's annual Thanksgiving Classic on Nov. 23-24. Milwaukee will be there, too, after making it to the second round of last year's WNIT.
The Gaels will host East Bay rival and NCAA Tournament participant California on Dec. 8. The local rivals have battled to excitingly close results in each of the past three seasons. The year kicks off at home on Nov. 9 with SMC's season opener versus Wyoming, a 22-game winner in '17-'18 that reached the second round of the WNIT.
"We're excited about our schedule," said Saint Mary's head coach Paul Thomas. "It's a complete and total challenge. I believe this team can handle this schedule. I don't know if we'll be .500 or under .500, seven of those games are on the road, but it's a very good challenge for this team."
Saint Mary's non-conference road schedule won't be any easier. The Gaels travel to Corvallis, Ore., to face Oregon State on Nov. 17. Oregon State went 26-8 last season en route to an Elite Eight appearance in the NCAA Tournament. SMC will also go on the road to Washington State on Nov. 11. The Cougars and Gaels have met in each of the last three seasons with SMC winning two of those games."We enjoy the difficult non-conference schedule, and I think that's what competitive people like to be a part of. That's a bragging thing for us. We go out and play the best and we're proud of that." -- Paul Thomas, Saint Mary's Head Coach
Saint Mary's will also travel to defending Big West Conference champion UC Davis on Dec. 17. The Aggies won 28 games last season and made it to the second round of the WNIT. The Gaels and Aggies have met every season for the last 11 years, with UC Davis winning three straight since 2015-16 that snapped a four-year SMC winning streak in the series.
The Gaels will participate in the Tulane Classic on Dec. 21-22 in New Orleans. Texas State, another postseason team from a year ago, awaits them in the tournament opener. The Bobcats went 23-10 last season, reaching the Sun Belt Conference Tournament championship game and qualifying for the WNIT. SMC will close the tournament against either host Tulane or Old Dominion.
"You should have a healthy schedule if you want to challenge yourself," said Thomas. "I've said it every year, I'll say it again since the day I took the job: that was one of our goals and I think we've met that goal every single year. We play a difficult non-conference schedule, we enjoy the difficult non-conference schedule, and I think that's what competitive people like to be a part of. That's a bragging thing for us. We go out and play the best and we're proud of that."
WBB | Saint Mary's vs. San Francisco State Game Highlights
Sunday, November 09
WBB | Postgame Interview vs. Chico State 2025
Friday, November 07
WBB | Saint Mary's vs. Chico State Game Highlights
Friday, November 07
WBB | Saint Mary's vs. Wyoming Game Highlights 2025-26
Tuesday, November 04
