MORAGA, Calif. — All good things must come to an end. The Saint Mary's Gaels (24-7, 15-1 WCC) entered the day with the nation's best 16 game winning streak, but it was ended by the Gonzaga Bulldogs (24-6, 14-2 WCC), who used a 12 minute surge in the second half to get enough separation to keep the Gaels at arms length throughout the remainder of the contest. The Gaels put together a strong second half, but it was not enough to overcome the early deficit, as the Zags earned the regular season split with the potential of the two schools colliding again in Vegas at the WCC Championship. 

The Gaels defense held tough against the potent offense of the Zags for the first seven minutes and change, holding them to four of their first 12 from the field, and taking a 12-10 lead early. Then the flood gates opened for the Zags, closing the half on a 34-16 run, shooting 14-16 from the field over the final 12:07 of the half. The Gaels were able to keep the game somewhat close due to strong three point shooting, knocking down more three pointers than layups in the first frame, two of which came from Alex Ducas. Mitchell Saxen led the Gaels with nine points in the first half, while Augustas Marciulionis racked up three points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals. The Gaels were +6 on the glass at the half, but turned 10 offensive boards into just six second chance points. 

After Gonzaga drained the first bucket of the second half, the Gaels went on 10-0 run, sparked by Aidan Mahaney, to cut the deficit to 8, but that would be as close as they would get to the Zags for the remainder of the contest. The defense for the Gaels certainly shored up in half number two, limiting the Zags to just 26 second half points, the second fewest points the Zags have scored in a single half this season (25 in the 2nd Half vs Washington). Offensively, Mahaney contributed 13 of the Gaels 29 second half points. 

Aidan Mahaney led the Gaels with 16 points, burying three triples. Mitchell Saxen scored 13 to go along with five rebounds, while Augustas Marciulionis dropped 10 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals. The Gaels leading rebounder was Alex Ducas, who ripped down seven to go along with his nine points and four assists. 

SENIOR SALUTE
As is customary for the final home game of the season, the Gaels honored their three seniors, Mitchell Saxen, Mason Forbes and Alex Ducas, as well as manager Taj Shokar in a pregame ceremony. All three of these Gaels made contributions in this one. Forbes scored four points, ripped down five rebounds, and added another shot block to his tally this season. Alex Ducas buried three more three pointers, bringing his career tally to 270, as he is now 18 shy of Matthew Dellavedova's program record. Saxen tallied 13 to go along with five rebounds, three of which were of the offensive variety, where he ranks in the top-10 in the country. 

SECOND HALF ADJUSTMENTS
After surrendering 44 points in the first half to the Zags, and allowing them to shoot 64% from the field in the first frame, the Gaels were able to make the adjustments needed to stay competitive with Gonzaga in the second half. The Gaels outscored the Zags 29-26 in the second half, limiting Gonzaga to 40% shooting from the field, holding them to their second lowest scoring half of the season. The Gaels also shot better from beyond the arc in half number two, but it was not enough to overcome the 16 point deficit that they took into the halftime break. 

CONTINUING TO BOARD
Despite the loss, the Gaels continued to dominate on the glass, outrebounding the Zags 38-27, including 17 offensive rebounds. Alex Ducas led the Gaels with seven rebounds, while Augustas Marciulionis had six, and Mitchell Saxen and Mason Forbes each had five. Unfortunately, the Gaels only converted their 17 o-boards to 10 second chance points, something they will certainly need to improve upon during postseason play. 

UP NEXT
The Gaels head to Las Vegas for the WCC Tournament, where they will be off until the semifinals on Monday, March 11 at 6 PM. In that spot, the Gaels could see any of the following schools: Santa Clara, San Diego, Pepperdine, or Pacific. 

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