Games #21
Saint Mary's Gaels (WCC 4-5, 9-11) vs. Loyola Marymount Lions (WCC 3-6, 7-15)
Thursday, January 30 at 7:00 pm PST
Los Angeles  – Gersten Pavilion
Live Stats | Watch 

Games #22
Saint Mary's Gaels (WCC 4-5, 9-11) vs. Pepperdine Waves (WCC 3-6, 9-10)
Saturday, February 1 at 2:00 pm PST
Malibu, Calif. – Firestone Fieldhouse
Live Stats | Watch 

MORAGA, Calif. — Having completed their homestand last week, the Gaels will now hit the road for two contests in SoCal versus LMU and Pepperdine.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Saint Mary's had just one game last week as they hosted the Pacific Tigers for a weekend matchup. The Gaels owned the first half of action on Saturday as they held Pacific to just four points total in the second quarter, however the Tigers proved they would not go down without a fight. UOP took control of the second half and came back from an 11-point deficit at the half to tie it in the final quarter and send the game into overtime. Despite a clutch three from sophomore Taycee Wedin in the final minutes of OT, Pacific took advantage of free throw opportunities and went on to win the game 68-66. The Gaels are now 1-1 in overtime matchups as they took the 80-73 win against Western Kentucky on November 30, 2019 earlier this season. It was Pacific's first overtime win of the season as they had dropped an OT final two weeks earlier against BYU on January 16.
  
AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE
The Gaels celebrated Australian Heritage Day inside University Credit Union Pavilion on Saturday, making it fitting that sophomore Sam Simons was their go-to scorer. She was on the floor for virtually the entire game, logging 43 minutes, and led the team offensively with 23 points on 10-21 from the floor. She also produced a solid line with seven rebounds, four assists, and one steal. Her 23 points tie her conference high this season, which she had done twice already against San Francisco (Dec. 28, 2019) and Pepperdine (Jan. 2, 2020). She was just two points shy of her season-high which she scored on Nov. 30 against WKU and just five points shy of her career-high which she recorded last Valentine's Day versus Santa Clara. Simons is averaging team highs in both points per matchup (15.0, 6th in WCC) and minutes per game (33.9, 6th in WCC) while ranking third in the conference with a three-point field goal percentage of 37.6.
 
LOYOLA MARYMOUNT
The Lions are 7-15 on the season with a conference record of 3-6 over the course of the last month. LMU opened WCC play with a four-game skid including a meeting with SMC before they were able to pick up their first conference win. The Lions then won three straight contests to try and even out their record, but have most recently dropped two in a row to Portland and No. 13 Gonzaga. Last time Saint Mary's and Loyola Marymount met, the Gaels took the 16-point victory at home on January 4. LMU is currently tied for seventh in the conference with Pepperdine as both teams sit at 3-6. SMC has won three of the last four contests between the two teams.
 
PEPPERDINE
The Waves have a record of 9-10 this season and are currently 3-6 in conference competitions. Pepperdine has struggled as of late as they have dropped their last three matchups dating back to January 18. The Waves will face off against Pacific at home on Thursday before hosting Saint Mary's for their game on Saturday. Last time the Gaels and the Waves played each other, it was SMC who walked away with the 85-78 win in the first conference contest of 2020 for both teams. As of this week, Pepperdine is tied for seventh in the conference with Loyola Marymount as both teams are 3-6 in the WCC. The Waves have won two of the last three contests between the two teams.

#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.