MORAGA, Calif. — The Gaels will host the Saint Mary's Thanksgiving Classic on Friday, November 26 and Saturday, November 27, welcoming UC Santa Barbara, Texas Christian University, and California Baptist University to UCU Pavilion. The Gaels will play at 2:00 p.m. on both days, playing TCU on Friday and UCSB on Saturday. Each day will be a double header, with California Baptist playing at 12:00 noon on each day with the reverse of the Gaels schedule, taking on UCSB Friday and TCU Saturday.

THE DETAILS
Saint Mary's (2-2) vs. TCU (1-2)
Friday, November 26 at 2:00 pm
University Credit Union Pavilion – Moraga, Calif.
Watch Live | Live Stats | Tickets
 
Saint Mary's (2-2) vs. UCSB (2-1)
Saturday, November 27 at 2:00 pm
University Credit Union Pavilion – Moraga, Calif.
Watch Live | Live Stats | Tickets

LAST TIME OUT
The Gaels fought back from two-different deficits in their 2021-22 home opener, but ultimately fell in overtime to 76-67 to Western Michigan.
 
Playing in front of their home crowd for the first time since February 29 of 2020, the Gaels were down 10 after one quarter of play but went into halftime tied at 36 apiece, and trailed by six points in the fourth quarter before forcing overtime against the Broncos.
 
The extra frame would be a battle of attrition, as each side had two key players foul out, including Ali Bamberger and Brianna Simonich for the Gaels. The Broncos built a lead of six points halfway into the overtime and the Gaels were never able to trim the lead to less than four.
 
Bamberger recorded her second double-double of the season with 18 points and 11 rebounds, and Taycee Wedin led the Gaels in scoring for the second time this year, with a season-high 20 points. Jade Kirisome also scored in double figures with 11 points and was second on the team with six rebounds.
 
2021-22 YEARBOOK
The 2021-22 Saint Mary's Basketball Yearbook is available HERE. This contains all of your information on both Saint Mary's basketball programs, coach and player profiles, as well as Saint Mary's, administration, and fan information.

ABOUT TEXAS CHRISTIAN
 
TCU graduate student Lauren Heard was named to the 2022 Nancy Lieberman Award Watch List, which recognizes the top point guard in women's NCAA Division I college basketball. She was also named to both the 2022 John R. Wooden Award Women's Preseason Top 50 Watch List and the 2022 Women's Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy Watch List.
 
Heard is a two-time All-Big 12 First Team selection and is coming off a 2020-21 campaign where she averaged 21.2 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. She also managed to dish out 4.8 assists and collect 2.6 steals per contest. The Denton, Texas, native was the only player in the Big 12 to rank among the league's top-10 players in points, rebounds, assists and steals last season.
 
The Horned Frogs were just 10-15 overall last season, but were 22-7 in 2019-20 before the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the NCAA postseason. TCU will face St. Mary's for just the second time overall and first time since 1999 when the Horned Frogs won 62-51 at TCU.
 
ABOUT UC SANTA BARBARA
 
UCSB landed two players on the preseason Big West All-Conference teams as junior center Ila Lane was named to the Coaches' Team and senior guard Taylor Mole was named to the team selected by members of the media around the conference.
 
Lane was also named to the 2022 Lisa Leslie Award Watch List last week, recognizing the top 20 centers in women's college basketball. Lane opted-out of the 2020-21 season due to COVID-19, but her freshman campaign in 2019-20 was one of the best in program history, leading the Big West as the only player averaging a double-double with 15.3 points and 13 rebounds per game.
 
Saint Mary's has won its last five games against the Gauchos, taking a 7-3 edge in their last 10 meetings since 2001, and are 8-6 overall against UCSB going back to their first meeting in 1987. The Gaels won the most recent meeting between the two programs 64-43 on November, 8 2019.
 
#GaelsRise — 2021-22 tickets and ticket packages are on sale now! To purchase tickets, click HERE. If you have questions, contact the ticket office by email smctickets@stmarys-ca.edu or call 925-631-4689…Saint Mary's Basketball…#TogetherAgain