Photo by: SMC Athletics / Piper Westrom
MBB | Facts and Figures: Post Portland, Pre Gonzaga
2/21/2025 5:09:00 PM | Men's Basketball
By Steve Kroner
Listing all of the significant accomplishments made by Saint Mary's since Randy Bennett became the head coach in 2001 would rate as a significant accomplishment in and of itself.
Among the most notable: The Gaels have racked up at least 21 wins in each of the past 17 seasons, excluding the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season. They've made 17 postseason appearances (10 NCAA and seven NIT) and have played in the past 16 postseasons. They've won at least a share of the regular-season WCC title five times and have earned the conference-tournament title four times.
One of the few things the Gaels haven't done under Bennett is win a conference championship in three consecutive seasons. In fact, the program has not accomplished that feat in its history.
Well, Saint Mary's would make it three straight WCC regular-season titles if it beats Gonzaga in Spokane on Saturday night. The Gaels and Zags shared the 2022-23 title and SMC won it outright last season. Saint Mary's (24-4, 14-1) owns a two-game lead over Gonzaga (21-7, 12-3) with three games remaining.
After the Gaels knocked off Portland 79-66 on Wednesday night, Bennett was asked what a victory over Gonzaga would mean.
"It would mean we won the championship. That means a lot. I don't know if it needs to mean any more than that," Bennett said. Soon thereafter, he did elaborate.
"People always say, 'Hey, you've got to take the next jump.' Well, what is the next jump? One of the things of a next jump is to be able to do it year in and year out – and that's what Gonzaga's done. I mean, nobody's done it as long as they have. Nobody."
The Zags have earned at least a share of the WCC regular-season title in 24 of the past 27 seasons; the Gaels won it outright last season and in 2011-12. Pepperdine took the crown in 1999-2000.
Saint Mary's edged Gonzaga 62-58 in Moraga on Feb. 1. The Gaels raced to a 32-18 lead in the first 12-1/2 minutes before the Zags responded. As of Friday morning, Gonzaga ranked second in the nation in points per game at 87.8 and Saint Mary's was fifth in fewest points allowed per game at 60.7.
Bennett stressed that those numbers don't necessarily mean the Gaels want to take, say, 25 seconds on each possession.
"We just play the way we play," Bennett said. "People think we're trying to play a pace against 'em. We're not. We're trying to get good shots and we're trying to keep them from getting 'em. And whatever pace that is, good with us.
"That's how we play. We're going to make it pretty grindy defensively whenever we play."
The Gaels prevailed 64-62 in Spokane last season.
"It's obviously a tough place to play," SMC center Mitchell Saxen said of the McCarthey Athletic Center. "It's really hard to go in there and get a win. We played really well last year and it was down to the wire.
"We know it's going to take all 15 players – redshirts included – to be dialed in. The whole staff to be dialed in and (have) the toughness to just do our job over and over again."
Since losing in Moraga, the Zags have won five in a row, with each win by at least 11 points.
"We know it's going to take not a heroic effort, but just a very focused effort," Saxen said, "and even that might not get the job done.
"But you've got to be the man in the arena. Dare to be great and dare to fail. I feel like there's nothing wrong with losing if you go out on your front foot and fire your best shot. So, that's just what we're trying to do every time out."
If the Gaels lose, they still would earn the regular-season title outright with a combination of two SMC wins (at LMU, vs. OSU) or Gonzaga losses (at Santa Clara, vs. San Francisco at Chase Center) next week except for an unlikely scenario in which USF (22-7, 12-4) could forge a tie.
As of Friday morning, the Zags' NET ranking was 10 and the Gaels' was 21. Dare we mention East Coast bias, but neither Saint Mary's nor Gonzaga was ranked in this week's Associated Press Top 25. It seems obvious, but … the winner of Saturday night's game ought to be in the AP Top 25 next week.
Murauskas delivers: Sophomore forward Paulius Murauskas has put together double-doubles in each of the Gaels' past two games, going for 30 points and 10 rebounds in a 77-56 romp over Washington State last Saturday and 20 points and 11 boards against the Pilots on Wednesday.
He shot a combined 21-for-34 (61.8%) from the floor over the two games. He's still recovering from a sprained ankle he suffered at Oregon State on Feb. 8, an injury that limited him to a combined 27 minutes and one point in the Gaels' wins over the Beavers and Santa Clara.
Murauskas is averaging 13 points per game and leads the WCC in rebounds per game at 8.3. Bennett discussed the progress made by the Lithuanian who spent last season as a freshman at Arizona.
"He's talented, but he's had to learn how to play," Bennett said. "His role is obviously (that) of a scorer and a heavy-minutes guy, and he had not done that. …
"Because you could just go get buckets and not make your team that good. Like, every bad team has a leading scorer and a leading rebounder. He's had to learn how to be that guy and play right. That's what the really good ones can do. They can put up numbers without forcing it, without stagnating the offense."
Bennett said Murauskas has improved in incorporating his game into the SMC offense and has improved dramatically defensively. Murauskas and Gonzaga point guard Ryan Nembhard are tied for the WCC lead in double doubles this season with 11.
Listing all of the significant accomplishments made by Saint Mary's since Randy Bennett became the head coach in 2001 would rate as a significant accomplishment in and of itself.
Among the most notable: The Gaels have racked up at least 21 wins in each of the past 17 seasons, excluding the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season. They've made 17 postseason appearances (10 NCAA and seven NIT) and have played in the past 16 postseasons. They've won at least a share of the regular-season WCC title five times and have earned the conference-tournament title four times.
One of the few things the Gaels haven't done under Bennett is win a conference championship in three consecutive seasons. In fact, the program has not accomplished that feat in its history.
Well, Saint Mary's would make it three straight WCC regular-season titles if it beats Gonzaga in Spokane on Saturday night. The Gaels and Zags shared the 2022-23 title and SMC won it outright last season. Saint Mary's (24-4, 14-1) owns a two-game lead over Gonzaga (21-7, 12-3) with three games remaining.
After the Gaels knocked off Portland 79-66 on Wednesday night, Bennett was asked what a victory over Gonzaga would mean.
"It would mean we won the championship. That means a lot. I don't know if it needs to mean any more than that," Bennett said. Soon thereafter, he did elaborate.
"People always say, 'Hey, you've got to take the next jump.' Well, what is the next jump? One of the things of a next jump is to be able to do it year in and year out – and that's what Gonzaga's done. I mean, nobody's done it as long as they have. Nobody."
The Zags have earned at least a share of the WCC regular-season title in 24 of the past 27 seasons; the Gaels won it outright last season and in 2011-12. Pepperdine took the crown in 1999-2000.
Saint Mary's edged Gonzaga 62-58 in Moraga on Feb. 1. The Gaels raced to a 32-18 lead in the first 12-1/2 minutes before the Zags responded. As of Friday morning, Gonzaga ranked second in the nation in points per game at 87.8 and Saint Mary's was fifth in fewest points allowed per game at 60.7.
Bennett stressed that those numbers don't necessarily mean the Gaels want to take, say, 25 seconds on each possession.
"We just play the way we play," Bennett said. "People think we're trying to play a pace against 'em. We're not. We're trying to get good shots and we're trying to keep them from getting 'em. And whatever pace that is, good with us.
"That's how we play. We're going to make it pretty grindy defensively whenever we play."
The Gaels prevailed 64-62 in Spokane last season.
"It's obviously a tough place to play," SMC center Mitchell Saxen said of the McCarthey Athletic Center. "It's really hard to go in there and get a win. We played really well last year and it was down to the wire.
"We know it's going to take all 15 players – redshirts included – to be dialed in. The whole staff to be dialed in and (have) the toughness to just do our job over and over again."
Since losing in Moraga, the Zags have won five in a row, with each win by at least 11 points.
"We know it's going to take not a heroic effort, but just a very focused effort," Saxen said, "and even that might not get the job done.
"But you've got to be the man in the arena. Dare to be great and dare to fail. I feel like there's nothing wrong with losing if you go out on your front foot and fire your best shot. So, that's just what we're trying to do every time out."
If the Gaels lose, they still would earn the regular-season title outright with a combination of two SMC wins (at LMU, vs. OSU) or Gonzaga losses (at Santa Clara, vs. San Francisco at Chase Center) next week except for an unlikely scenario in which USF (22-7, 12-4) could forge a tie.
As of Friday morning, the Zags' NET ranking was 10 and the Gaels' was 21. Dare we mention East Coast bias, but neither Saint Mary's nor Gonzaga was ranked in this week's Associated Press Top 25. It seems obvious, but … the winner of Saturday night's game ought to be in the AP Top 25 next week.
Murauskas delivers: Sophomore forward Paulius Murauskas has put together double-doubles in each of the Gaels' past two games, going for 30 points and 10 rebounds in a 77-56 romp over Washington State last Saturday and 20 points and 11 boards against the Pilots on Wednesday.
He shot a combined 21-for-34 (61.8%) from the floor over the two games. He's still recovering from a sprained ankle he suffered at Oregon State on Feb. 8, an injury that limited him to a combined 27 minutes and one point in the Gaels' wins over the Beavers and Santa Clara.
Murauskas is averaging 13 points per game and leads the WCC in rebounds per game at 8.3. Bennett discussed the progress made by the Lithuanian who spent last season as a freshman at Arizona.
"He's talented, but he's had to learn how to play," Bennett said. "His role is obviously (that) of a scorer and a heavy-minutes guy, and he had not done that. …
"Because you could just go get buckets and not make your team that good. Like, every bad team has a leading scorer and a leading rebounder. He's had to learn how to be that guy and play right. That's what the really good ones can do. They can put up numbers without forcing it, without stagnating the offense."
Bennett said Murauskas has improved in incorporating his game into the SMC offense and has improved dramatically defensively. Murauskas and Gonzaga point guard Ryan Nembhard are tied for the WCC lead in double doubles this season with 11.
Players Mentioned
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