MORAGA, Calif. – Saint Mary's Men's Basketball has released its 2021 non-conference schedule, the team announced on Friday. The Gaels will be playing 14 non-conference games, with eight of those scheduled for inside University Credit Union Pavilion.
 
"This non-conference schedule is fantastic for our program," head coach Randy Bennett said of the 14 games leading up to West Coast Conference play. "We feel that these games will challenge us and prepare us for what's to come in the WCC."
 
The 2021-22 season officially begins on Tuesday, November 9 when the Gaels welcome in Prairie View A&M for a 7:00 pm tip-off. This kicks off four-straight home games for SMC to begin the year, with Texas Southern (Nov. 12), Southern Utah (Nov. 15), and Bellarmine (Nov. 17) all making the trek to Moraga.
 
Saint Mary's will hit the road for the first time just prior to Thanksgiving when they play in the Maui Jim Invitational on November 22-24, their first ever invite to one of the most prestigious basketball tournaments in the country. The Gaels will play Notre Dame on Monday, November 22 at 8:30 pm on ESPN 2 and will play either Oregon or Chaminade the following day.
 
As Saint Mary's comes home, they will have an additional home game against UC Riverside on Monday, November 29 at 7:00 pm to close out the month. They will play inside University Credit Union Pavilion three times in December: UC Santa Barbara (Dec. 11), Missouri State (Dec. 22), and Yale (Dec. 28).
 
Additionally, the Gaels will play out-of-state on three occasions in December. Saint Mary's hits the road on December 2 and 4 for a road trip against Utah State and Colorado State. Both stand as great road matchups for SMC, as Utah State went to the NCAA Tournament in 2021 and Colorado State won a pair of games in the NIT. Saint Mary's hosted Colorado State during the 2020-21 season and won 53-33. SMC will also head to Phoenix and play San Diego State for the second year in a row at a neutral site, with that contest scheduled for December 17 inside Footprint Center.
 
Fans will get their first chance to be around the team on November 6, with the Gaels Tip-Off Dinner, presented by Diablo Valley Insurance. More information and registration for the this year's Tip-Off Dinner will be available at a later date.
 
The Saint Mary's Men's Basketball schedule is subject to change. Conference play begins at home for SMC on Saturday, January 1 against San Francisco. To view the full schedule, click HERE.
 
#GaelsRise – Join the men's basketball waitlist HERE to receive 2021-22 season ticket information, as Saint Mary's welcomes fans back to University Credit Union Pavilion this season. Call the SMC Ticket Office at 925-631-4689, email smctickets@stmarys-ca.edu or click the ticket link above for more information…Saint Mary's Basketball…Together Again.