MORAGA, Calif. — After taking a loss in a close game on Tuesday night to Santa Clara, No. 22 Saint Mary's Men's Basketball will look to put that game in the rearview mirror with two more games on tap. The Gaels host San Diego on Thursday night inside University Credit Union Pavilion before heading north to take on No. 2 Gonzaga on Saturday night. Both matchups are the first against those respective teams this season.
 
THE DETAILS
No. 22 Saint Mary's Gaels (19-5, 7-2) vs. San Diego Toreros (13-11, 6-5)
Thursday, February 10 at 6:00 pm
University Credit Union Pavilion – Moraga, Calif.
Television: NBC Sports California (Krista Blunk, Mike Montgomery)
Live Audio: The Varsity Network (Alex Jensen, Dave Lewis)
Watch | Listen | Live Stats | Get Tickets
All-Time Head-to-Head Record: 55-36, last meeting 2/22/20, Gaels 92, USD 63
 
No. 22 Saint Mary's Gaels at No. 2 Gonzaga Bulldogs (19-2, 8-0)
Saturday, February 12 at 7:00 pm
McCarthey Athletic Center – Spokane, Wash.
Television: ESPN2 (Dave Flemming, Sean Farnham, Molly McGrath
Live Audio: The Varsity Network (Alex Jensen)
Watch | Listen | Live Stats
All-Time Head-to-Head Record: 30-75, last meeting 3/8/21, Gaels 55, Gonzaga 78
 
LAST TIME OUT
Saint Mary's played a make-up game at Santa Clara on Tuesday night, as it was originally postponed on January 6 due to health and safety protocols. The Gaels were down just one point at halftime, but then Santa Clara opened up a 12-point lead midway through the second half. Saint Mary's eventually came back to make it just a two-point game in the final five minutes, but could not get over the hump in a 77-72 loss. It marks the first time this season that Saint Mary's lost a game that they scored at least 60 points in.
 
GAELS RANKED
Announced on Monday morning, Saint Mary's entered the AP and Coaches Top-25 Polls for the first time since the beginning of the 2019-20 season. The Gaels are ranked No. 22 in both polls, jumping up six spots in the AP poll after beating Portland and LMU this past week. No other Bay Area schools are ranked inside the top-25, and only No. 12 UCLA and No. 21 USC are ranked higher within the state of California.
 
ABOUT SAN DIEGO
The Toreros have been a pleasant surprise in the WCC this season, improving to a winning record and 6-5 in WCC play. Their last two losses have been to Gonzaga and Santa Clara, but they have some winnable games down the stretch including Pacific, Portland, and San Francisco. The Toreros are a new team that has gelled together quickly, with 10 new faces on the roster. Two of those newcomers have been instrumental in their success: Marcellus Earlington (St. John's) and Jase Townsend (Denver). They are the only two USD players averaging over 10 points per game, and both present different challenges defensively.
 
ABOUT GONZAGA
This year's Gonzaga squad isn't chasing perfection like last year's, but they have their sights set on a national championship. The second-ranked Zags suffered two early-season losses (No. 5 Duke and No. 16 Alabama), but they've rattled off 12-straight wins since. They already have four 100-point games in conference play, and haven't scored fewer than 78 in WCC games. They do everything well, including shooting a ridiculous 53.6% from the field. All-American candidates Drew Timme and Chet Holmgren are the leaders of the pack, while all five of their starters average at least 10 points per game.
 
DIGITAL GAMEDAY PROGRAM
All Saint Mary's Men's Basketball gameday programs will be virtual during the 2021-22 season, and the final edition can be found HERE. In it, fans will find a preview of the final six games of the regular season, and more information about Patty Mills entering the NBA 3-Point Contest and Gaels in the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers with the Boomers.
 
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