Game #27
Saint Mary's Gaels (18-8, 11-4 WCC) vs. Loyola Marymount Lions (15-11, 8-6 WCC)
Thursday, February 21, 2019 at 7:00 p.m.
Los Angeles, Calif. — Gerston Pavilion
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Game #28
Saint Mary's Gaels (18-8, 11-4 WCC) vs. Pepperdine Waves (17-8, 10-4 WCC)
Saturday, February 23, 2019 at 2:00 p.m.
Malibu, Calif. — Firestone Fieldhouse
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MORAGA, Calif. — The Gaels are riding a four-game winning streak as they head south for their final roadtrip of the season to face conference opponents LMU and Pepperdine.
SCOUTING REPORT
Saint Mary's is coming off of a hot week of games against Santa Clara and San Francisco to reach double-digit conference wins for the tenth straight season. Saint Mary's is ranked 51st in RPI which is third in the WCC below BYU (27) and Gonzaga (13). They're also ranked 7th in the nation in field goal percentage (48.9) and 9th in 3-point field goal percentage (38.5) which are both ranked first in the WCC. They are also 23rd in 3-pointers per game (8.7).
There are 4 Gaels in the top-10 in field goal percentage in the WCC: Megan McKay (1st-60.4), Sam Simons (3rd-53.3), Sydney Raggio (7th-50.4), and Jasmine Forcadilla (9th-48.4). Saint Mary's is ranked first in the conference in scoring offense with an average of 77.3 points per game, almost two and a half points above second place Portland (75.0).
Senior Megan McKay is continuing to have a dominant year as she has shot 74.5% (38-51) over her last six games and is now shooting a conference-high 60% (17th in the nation). She is also ranked 15th in the nation amongst active players with a career-FG% of 59.4 (Ranked No. 1 in program-history). She is first on the team with a field goal percentage of 60.4 and is second on the team in points per game (12.2), rebounds per game (7.0), and blocks (13). She is also one of only three Gaels who has played in and started every game for the Gaels this season.
Freshman Sam Simons was named this week's Muscle Milk Student Athlete of the Week after an impressive week and a career-performance against Santa Clara. Against the Broncos, the Adelaide, Australia native had career-highs in points (28), 3-pointers (six), and steals (four) while going 5-for-5 in 3-point attempts in the first quarter alone. For the week, she averaged 18.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 2.5 steals. Simons now has seven starts on the season and the Gaels are 6-1 in those games. She is is third on the team with 11.6 points per game and is third in the WCC with a 53.5 field goal percentage.
LOYOLA MARYMOUNT
The Lions are currently ranked sixth in the conference and have a 15-11 (8-6 WCC) record so far this season. LMU is coming off of a 73-55 loss against Pepperdine, which broke their four-game win streak that they held since their win over BYU on January 31st. The last time the Lions faced the Gaels, SMC took the 86-62 victory at McKeon, which was just before the Lions went on their streak.
Sophomore Chelsey Gipson leads LMU with an average of 16.8 points per game which has her ranked third in the conference in scoring. Gipson is also third on the team with a three-point percentage of .358 and fourth on the team with 32 blocks. Sophomore Jasmine Jones holds the top spot for the Lions' shooters with a field goal percentage of .484 and is third among the team with 12.5 points per contest.
PEPPERDINE
Pepperdine is fourth in the WCC behind Saint Mary's and holds a 17-8 (10-4 WCC) record through this point in the season. The Waves are on a six-game winning streak since January 31 and most recently took down LMU 73-55 on the Lions' turf. One of the only four losses on the season for the Waves came against Saint Mary's when the Gaels took the victory 79-68 on January 24. The only other losses for Pepperdine were against Pacific, Gonzaga, and BYU.
Senior Yasmine Robinson-Bacote is averaging 20.3 points per game for the Waves and is ranked first in the conference in scoring. She is first on the squad in rebounds per game (7.8) and second in field goal percentage (.459) and blocks (17). Robinson-Bacote is also third in three-point percentage (.356) behind sophomore Rose Pflug (.405) and  junior Deezha Battle (.415).
#GaelsRise – For ticket information to all home basketball games, call the SMC Ticket Office today at 925-631-4689 or click the ticket link here to purchase your seats now.
