MORAGA, Calif. — Saint Mary's Men's Basketball is one of the hottest teams in the NCAA in early February. The Gaels haven't lost since before Christmas, are riding a 12-game winning streak, and continue to climb in the national rankings. In the latest edition of the AP Poll, the Gaels move up three spots to No. 15, while moving up four spots in the USA Today Coaches Poll to No. 14.
 
Being inside the top-15 is rare air for Saint Mary's, as the Gaels have spent just six weeks being ranked inside the top-15 in both polls all-time. The most recent time this occurred was the week of February 12, 2018, when the Gaels were ranked No. 15 across the two polls. Not only are the Gaels ranked inside the top-15, but they are now the top-ranked team in the West Coast Conference, with Gonzaga dropping to No. 16.
 
Saint Mary's came from behind twice last week to remain unbeaten in conference play, with their record now standing at 10-0. The Gaels saw a lead against San Francisco evaporate with about seven minutes remaining, but finished the game strong to win by nine points. On Saturday against Gonzaga, the Gaels trailed by eight points with six minutes to go, but Aidan Mahaney took over. He scored or assisted on 19 of the next 21 points, as the Gaels tied the game and forced overtime, before winning 78-70.
 
SMC is 10-0 in conference play for the fourth time in program history, with just six games remaining on the schedule. They hold a two-game lead over Gonzaga for the regular season title, which the Gaels are trying to capture outright for the first time since 2012.
 
The metrics continue to show love to the Gaels, where they remain ranked No. 6 in the NCAA NET Rankings, and No. 7 in KenPom. With the eyes of the country starting to pay attention to the Gaels, they were also chosen as the NCAA Team of the Week by national reporter Andy Katz, who has the Gaels at No. 11 in his Power 36 Rankings.
 
The Gaels will look to keep the good times rolling on the road next week with a pair of road games, part of three-straight away from home. Saint Mary's first plays at Loyola Marymount on Thursday, February 9 at 6:00 pm on regional sports networks around the state before heading all the way up to Portland on February 11 for a showdown with the Portland Pilots. That contest will tip-off at 3:00 pm on CBS Sports Network.