MBB | Gaels Can't Overcome No. 4 Gonzaga - SMC California Athletics

Saturday, February 9

Spokane, Wash.

7:00 p.m.

Saint Mary's College of California

15-10, 6-4

Gonzaga

23-2, 10-0

Saint Mary?s

Gonzaga

Photo by: Gonzaga Athletics

MBB | Gaels Can't Overcome No. 4 Gonzaga

2/9/2019 11:11:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

Saint Mary's could not stop their longtime rival Saturday night in a 94-46 loss on the road.

SPOKANE, Wash. — Saint Mary's suffered their toughest loss in the Randy Bennett era Saturday night as No. 4 Gonzaga rolled to a 94-46 win against the Gaels in The Kennel.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Gaels' offense could never get clicking as they finished the game 15-for-58 on shot attempts, only 26 percent. Saint Mary's ranked as the conference's top 3-point shooting team coming into Saturday's contest but were only 1-for-13 against the stingy Gonzaga defense. SMC did not make their first trey until Quinn Clinton found the bottom of the nylon with 2:20 to play.

Tommy Kuhse led the offense with 12 points, 10 of which came in the first half. Malik Fitts was the only other Gael to reach double-digits with 11. Fitts also had a team-high six boards.

Saint Mary's had never previously lost a game by 30 or more points under Randy Bennett until Saturday. The team's last loss by 30-plus was a 40-point loss to Gonzaga in the WCC Championships back on Mar. 3, 2001 under head coach Dave Bollwinkel. Tonight's loss was the fourth largest margin of defeat in program history.

Gonzaga showed every bit of their offensive prowess as they shot 58 percent and 44 from beyond the arc. Brandon Clarke had 24 points in 23 minutes while Rui Hachimura added 18 more. GU opened the game on a 11-0 run and didn't miss a shot for the first six and half minutes of the contest.

The Zags' defense did well to limit Saint Mary's top offensive weapons, Fitts and Jordan Ford. Ford didn't appear on the scoreboard until 9:15 in the first half and didn't make his first bucket of the game until just under four minutes into the second half. Fitts earned his first points over 12 minutes into the game.

Gonzaga went on a 11-0 run in the final four minutes and change in the first half to take a 53-20 lead into the break.

NUMBERS TO KNOW

1: SMC had only one assist in the game which came on the Clinton 3-pointer.
6: Tonight's contest was just the sixth time all season Saint Mary's has been outrebounded (42-31).
11: 11 different Gaels saw the court in the loss.
15: The Gaels converted 15 of their 19 free throws, good for 79 percent.

UP NEXT: SANTA CLARA

Saint Mary's returns to the Bay Area for a matchup with their historic rival Santa Clara on Thursday. Links and information for the game can be found on the Gaels' schedule page.