MORAGA, Calif. — It's been a road heavy start to the WCC slate for Saint Mary's, but the Gaels will now get a chance to enjoy a three-game homestand, starting with Pacific and LMU this week. It will be the Gaels first look at the Tigers on Thursday night, before their rematch with LMU on Saturday. The Gaels and Lions squared off back on January 6, with the Gaels escaping Los Angeles with a 68-64 victory, their tightest WCC contest this season.

THE DETAILS
Saint Mary's Gaels vs Pacific Tigers
Thursday, January 25 at 8:00 PM
UCU Pavilion – Moraga, Calif.
Watch* | Listen | Live Stats
*This game can only be watched with a cable subscription on CBS Sports Network

Saint Mary's Gaels vs LMU Lions
Saturday, January 27 at 7:00 PM
UCU Pavilion – Moraga, Calif.
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CONTINUING TO CLIMB
Having started every game this season, there is an extremely high likelihood that Alex Ducas will appear in at least one of the Gaels two matchups this week. If he indeed does appear in at least one of these games, it will be his 137th appearance as a Gael, moving him to second all-time in program history, trailing only Tommy Kuhse's 149. Saint Mary's is guaranteed at least 12 more games this season (11 regular season games, at least one WCC Tournament game), meaning that if Ducas appears in every one of those games, he would sit at 148 games played, and would need just one more postseason contest for a chance to at least tie Kuhse's mark, and two more for a chance to set a new program record at 150 games played.

ALONE AT THE TOP
Following their win at San Francisco this past weekend, the Gaels are now the lone unbeaten team in the WCC. Hot on the Gaels' tails are three teams each with one loss, the Santa Clara Broncos (lone loss to Saint Mary's), the San Francisco Dons (lone loss to Saint Mary's) and the Gonzaga Bulldogs (lone loss to Santa Clara). The conference is off to a top-heavy race between these four squads, but the Gaels have established themselves early as top dogs. 

ABOUT THE TIGERS
It's been a tough start for the Pacific Tigers, who find themselves with just six wins in their first 14 contests, and have lost each of their last five. Head Coach Leonard Perry saw a seven win increase between years one and two, and will need to find a way to turn things around quickly here in year three if he wants to continue the Tigers' winning trajectory. Pacific lost their three leading scorers from a season ago, including two to the portal, but did return three starters, including this season's leading scorer, Judson Martindale. The best shooter on the team, the 6-7 Martindale holds a 39% clip from beyond the arc, averaging 10.4 points per game. The Tigers only other double-digit scorer is Nick Blake, averaging 10.0 points per game and shooting 37% from beyond the arc. Both Blake and Martindale have seen time in the starting lineup and off the bench. Point guard Moe Odum has been a bright spot for the Tigers, ranked second in the conference with 96 assists and a 2.59 assist/turnover ratio. Pacific opened up conference play with their best showing, falling in overtime to San Francisco 92-88, but since then, have not been within 14 points of another WCC school. The Tigers are a very deep team, with 11 players averaging 10+ minutes per game, as more than a third of their points come from the bench. All-time, the Gaels are 81-44 against the Tigers, and have not lost to Pacific at home since 1989. 

ABOUT THE LIONS
Just three weeks after their tight showdown in Los Angeles, the LMU Lions will have another shot at the Gaels, this time in Moraga. In their last meeting down south, the Gaels narrowly edged the Lions 68-64 despite a 19 point outpouring from point guard Will Johnston. In that one, the Lions had no answer for Augustas Marciulionis, who sliced and diced through the LMU defense, scoring a career-high 22. Since that point, LMU has gone 2-1, with a home matchup with Portland on the docket before heading to Moraga. If the Lions can defeat the Pilots, they will move to 10-10 and 3-3 in WCC play, as they currently sit one game below 0.500 for both their total and conference records. Now in his fourth season at LMU, Head Coach Stan Johnson looks for his second ever win over Saint Mary's. The Lions have still not seen their starting point guard, Justice Hill, suit up, since 12/16, however, in his absence, Gonzaga transfer Dominick Harris has shouldered the load, averaging nearly 15 points per game, and shooting at 43% from beyond the arc. Harris is tied with Aidan Mahaney for most threes made in the conference at 51. Alex Merkviladze continues to be a steadfast scoring option as well, averaging nearly 11 points per game and leading the team with 6.3 rebounds per game, while Justin Wright provides a spark off the bench for the Lions, averaging 10.8 points per game. Point guard Will Johnston punctuates the heavy Lions scoring contingent, averaging 10.4 points per game and leading the team with 54 assists. While the Lions are able to score in the open floor, they also average about 15 points per game from the free throw line, and have been to the stripe more than any other team in the WCC. The Gaels are 101-55 all-time against the Lions, and haven't lost to LMU at home since 2012.