MORAGA, Calif. — Saint Mary's Men's Basketball rings in a new year with their first West Coast Conference game of the season. After going 12-3 in non-conference games, the Gaels begin WCC play against the red-hot San Francisco Dons on Saturday at 5:00 pm inside University Credit Union Pavilion. This marks the final home game for the Gaels until January 15.
 
THE DETAILS
Saint Mary's Gaels (12-3) vs. RV San Francisco Dons (13-1)
Saturday, January 1 at 5:00 pm
University Credit Union Pavilion – Moraga, Calif.
Live Stream: Stadium (Barry Tompkins, Doug Gottlieb)
Live Audio: The Varsity Network (Alex Jensen, Dave Lewis)
Watch | Listen | Live Stats | Get Tickets
All-Time Head-to-Head Record: 84-101, last meeting on 1/23/21, Gaels 67, USF 63
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Gaels capped off non-conference play with a 12-3 mark after taking care of business against the Yale Bulldogs on Tuesday night, beating Yale by a final of 87-60. Saint Mary's never trailed in the game and led by 21 at halftime after scoring 46 points, their most in a first half this season. As is usually the case, defense set the tone early for Saint Mary's, as the Gaels forced Yale into 23 turnovers, leading to 15 steals. No SMC team has had at least 15 steals in a game since 2010, when the Gaels forced 18 against the College of Idaho.
 
RED HOT
Once Matthias Tass scored 27 points against Missouri State before Christmas, he set the bar with the best point total for a Gael this year. That mark almost fell just six days later, as Logan Johnson had himself a game on Tuesday night against Yale. Johnson went off for 26 points, tying a career-best that he set against Santa Clara on January 9, 2021. It was his best game in terms of efficiency as well, going 10-14 from the floor while knocking down three treys for the first time this season. Johnson also continued to be a force on defense, swiping four steals and also blocked a shot.
 
ABOUT SAN FRANCISCO
The Dons have been one of the best teams in the NCAA all season, and were one of the final eight unbeaten teams until they suffered a loss to Grand Canyon at the Jerry Colangelo Classic. They've recovered well since that loss, beating Arizona State, Southern Illinois, and the Academy of Art in three games since. Their win over the Academy of Art on Tuesday night featured a school record in points scored by the Dons (111). They do a lot of things well offensively, shooting at 48% as a team, and 38% from beyond the arc, while attempting nearly half of their shots from range. Jamaree Bouyea is the star of the show, averaging 17.8 points per game on 51.4% shooting, and 44.2% from beyond the arc.
 
DIGITAL GAMEDAY PROGRAM
All Saint Mary's Men's Basketball gameday programs will be virtual during the 2021-22 season, and the first edition can be found HERE. In it, fans will find a recap of the the Maui Invitational, the Gaels true road trip, and a preview of their final non-conference games AND the conference opener against San Francisco.
 
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.
 
#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