MBB | Gaels Host Two WCC Opponents This Week

Saint Mary's will play Santa Clara and San Diego at home this week as they look to improve to 4-1 in conference.

MORAGA, Calif. — Riding a two-game win streak, Saint Mary's (11-7, 2-1) will host Santa Clara and San Diego this week as they try to push their WCC record to 4-1.

GAME INFORMATION
Game No. 19 vs. Santa Clara (10-8, 2-2 WCC)
Date/Time: Thursday, Jan. 17 at 8:00 p.m. PST
Location: McKeon Pavilion (Moraga, Calif.)
TV: NBC Sports Network Bay Area
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: 90-137 (Last meeting: 2/24/18, H, SMC 67 — SCU 40)

Game No. 20 vs. San Diego (12-6, 1-2 WCC)
Date/Time: Saturday, Jan. 19 at 6:00 p.m. PST
Location: McKeon Pavilion (Moraga, Calif.)
TV: NBC Sports Network Bay Area
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: 50-36 (Last meeting: 2/3/18, A, SMC 65 — USD 62)

ABOUT SANTA CLARA
The Broncos run into Moraga with a 10-8 record and are 2-2 thus far in WCC play. Last week, three last second free throws helped Santa Clara get past Pepperdine but two days later, the Broncos fell by six at BYU. SCU's other conference win came at home versus San Diego by a 12-point margin.

Sophomore guard Tahj Eaddy leads the Broncos at 16.6 points per game and is averaging over 19 so far in conference action. Eaddy likes to shoot the 3-ball and has done so well this season, cashing in on 39.8 percent of his 118 tries. Forward Josip Vrankic is second on the team with 13.6 points per contest while freshman Trey Wertz is averaging over five assists, good for fifth in the WCC.

The Broncos are a fairly young team this year as 64 of the team's 90 starts have come from underclassmen. Forward Josh Martin is the only upperclassman to have started more than five games this season or start a conference game.

Santa Clara is Saint Mary's most historic opponent with 227 all-time meetings between the two teams. The Gaels have held the upper hand in recent years, including a current six-game win streak against their WCC rival, and have won 17 of the past 19 matchups.

ABOUT SAN DIEGO
The Toreros had a productive non-conference schedule, posting an 11-4 record under first year head coach Sam Scholl, and have since gone 1-2 to begin their WCC slate. In last week's action, San Diego posted a 73-64 win over Pacific prior to narrowly falling to Pepperdine by five at home.

USD has two of the conference's top-10 scorers in seniors Isaiah Pineiro and Olin Carter III. Pineiro was voted All-WCC in the preseason poll and has backed up that selection with 20.0 points per game (4th in WCC) and 8.7 rebounds (3rd) so far. Carter is averaging 16.5 points, good for second on the team.

San Diego surpassed BYU to now rank third in the conference in field goal percentage at 48 percent, one spot behind Saint Mary's. The Toreros are also one place back of the Gaels in field goal defense as they have allowed their opponents to shoot 44 percent on the other end.

Saturday's contest will the 87th meeting between the two schools. Saint Mary's has won the last nine matchups against the Toreros and 19 of the past 21 games.

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