PHOENIX, Ariz. — After an impressive showing in last year's event, Saint Mary's men's basketball is returning to the Jerry Colangelo Classic for the third consecutive season. On December 16, 2023, the Gaels will face UNLV inside the Footprint Center, home of the Phoenix Suns. Tip-off will be determined at a late date by the television network that picks up the game.
 
Last year's Jerry Colangelo Classic was a two-day event, taking place on December 10 and 21. Saint Mary's was the lone team to play in the event twice, taking on both San Diego State and Wyoming, and coming away with a pair of wins. The victory over San Diego State was significant in that the Aztecs wound up making it to the NCAA Championship game for the first time in program history.
 
Saint Mary's took control of the game early against SDSU on December 10 of last year, beating the 22^nd-ranked Aztecs 68-61, their first win over SDSU since 2009. Their game 11 days later against Wyoming was cut from a similar cloth, with the Gaels beating the Cowboys 66-54 to go 2-0 in the Jerry Colangelo Classic.
 
"It's great to be back in Phoenix for the Jerry Colangelo Classic," said head coach Randy Bennett. "Last year, we faced the team that wound up playing in the National Championship game, so the competition is always great. It tests us for March, and that's the goal of getting into these types of events."
 
This year's Jerry Colangelo Classic has a heavy West Coast Conference flair, as every game features a WCC school. In addition to Saint Mary's making the trek to Phoenix, Portland, Santa Clara, and LMU will playing as well on December 16. Portland faces Grand Canyon, Santa Clara takes on Washington State, and LMU matches up with UC Santa Barbara.
 
Last season, UNLV got off to one of the best starts in the NCAA, opening the year with a 10-0 record. Two of those wins were particularly impressive, as the Runnin' Rebels beat both Dayton (ranked No. 21 at the time) and Washington State. Their defense is aggressive, leading the Mountain West in turnover margin and turnovers forced, both of which ranked top-10 in the NCAA. They do have the tendency to get torched, however, as their three-point defense was one of the worst in the country at 35.7%. They were knocked out in the second round of the Mountain West Tournament last season, falling in overtime to Boise State.
 
When the Gaels and Runnin' Rebels meet on December 16, it will be the first meeting between the programs since 2004, and just their second since 1978. Saint Mary's is just 3-13 all-time against UNLV, with wins in 2004, 1974, and 1971.
 
Tickets for both Jerry Colangelo events in Phoenix are scheduled to go on sale in July. On-sale date, game times, fan experience information, credentials, and television broadcast details will be released at a later date. For more information, please visit hoophall.com or follow @hoophallu on all social platforms.