Friday, November 13
Moraga, CA
7:00 PM
Saint Mary's College of California
vs
UIC
Photo by: Saint Mary's Athletics / Tod Fierner
11/11/2026 11:48:00 AM | Men's Basketball
MORAGA, Calif. — After a hard-fought battle at the Tahoe Blue Event Center on Sunday afternoon, the Saint Mary's men's basketball team will return home to UCU Pavilion to host another pair of strong foes in the UIC Flames and Portland State Vikings, kicking off a four game homestand. The Gaels' offense is off to a blazing start, averaging nearly 97 points per game, as Saint Mary's will quest to score at least 90 for a fourth consecutive game, a new program record.Â
THE DETAILS
Saint Mary's Gaels vs. UIC Flames
Friday, November 13 at 7 p.m.
UCU Pavilion – Moraga, Calif.Â
WATCH | LIVE STATS | TICKETS
Saint Mary's Gaels vs. Portland State Vikings
Monday, November 16 at 7 p.m.
UCU Pavilion – Moraga, Calif.Â
WATCH | LIVE STATS | TICKETS
HIGH OCTANE OFFENSE
For the first time since the 1970-71 season, the Gaels have scored 90 or more points in three straight contests. Saint Mary's last achieved this in a span between Feb. 15 and Feb. 20, 1971, with 111 points against Santa Clara, 93 at Nevada and 91 at UNLV. The Gaels have never scored 90+ points in four straight contests in program history. On the young campaign, Saint Mary's is averaging 96.7 PPG as a team, well above their program record for scoring offense in a season of 85.0 PPG set back in 1977-78.
GAELS EPITOMIZE RESILIENCE
In their first three contests of the year, Saint Mary's has overcome two second half double-digit deficits to force overtime. In the season opener against Illinois State, the Gaels trailed 58-48 with 12:34 remaining in regulation, before outscoring the Redbirds 42-27 down the stretch to pick up win number one for head coach Mickey McConnell. Six days later in Stateline, Nevada, the Gaels played comeback kids again, this time against the Nevada Wolf Pack, battling back from a 72-62 deficit with four minutes to go on a 17-7 run to close out regulation, eventually falling 96-95 in the overtime thriller. The Gaels did not play in an overtime game in 2025-26, but did play a pair of overtime contests in December of the 2024-25 season against UTSA and Boise State. The last time that the Gaels erased a second half double-digit deficit to force overtime was in the 2013 WCC Tournament, erasing a 45-35 deficit against San Diego to win 69-66.
DEFEND HOME COURT
Attention Gaels Fans! Help the Gaels add to their historic 28-game home unbeaten streak during this upcoming four game homestand by getting loud inside UCU Pavilion. Tickets are on sale for all four games as well as the entire home slate of Saint Mary's basketball at smcgaels.com/tickets. Don't miss out on history, as the Gaels quest for their sixth straight NCAA Tournament berth, fifth straight WCC Title and the first under head coach Mickey McConnell.Â
ABOUT THE FLAMES
UIC has been a program on the rise since the hire of now third year head coach Robert Ehsan. Ehsan inherited a team that had four consecutive losing seasons, but has had a winning record in each of his first two at the helm, and looks to make it three straight, something they haven't done since the 2001-04. The Flames are off to a good start to achieve that goal, opening up at 3-0 with wins over Saint Francis Illinois (DII), Robert Morris and UNC Greensboro at home, and now will have their first road test against the Gaels. UIC has proven to be something of a defensive juggernaut this year, forcing nearly 20 turnovers per game, including 12.3 steals per contest, helping limit teams to just 58.3 PPG. Leading that defensive charge has been Mekhi Lowery with seven steals and six blocks, to go along with his 11 PPG, while Rashund Washington Jr. has led the team in scoring at 17 PPG and rebounding at 7 RPG. This will be the first all-time meeting between the Gaels and Flames.Â
ABOUT THE VIKINGS
Portland State is coming off of their first Big Sky title in nearly two decades, and will look to stay atop their conference here in 2026-27. Sixth year head coach Jase Coburn has schemed up quite the non-conference schedule for his team to prepare them for conference play, playing seven true road contests, including four of their first five, culminating with Monday night's clash with the Gaels. The Vikings split their first two contests, defeating Lewis and Clark (DIII) 111-59 before falling to Seattle U at the Redhawks Center 79-60. They will play at Colorado State tonight and at San Francisco on Saturday before seeing the Gaels. While Portland State boasts a veteran roster featuring nine seniors, they've been led by a first year collegiate player, Russian National Yaroslav Nikonov, averaging 15 PPG. The Vikings will see the Gaels for the fifth time in program history, with the all-time series knotted up at two apiece.
THE DETAILS
Saint Mary's Gaels vs. UIC Flames
Friday, November 13 at 7 p.m.
UCU Pavilion – Moraga, Calif.Â
WATCH | LIVE STATS | TICKETS
Saint Mary's Gaels vs. Portland State Vikings
Monday, November 16 at 7 p.m.
UCU Pavilion – Moraga, Calif.Â
WATCH | LIVE STATS | TICKETS
HIGH OCTANE OFFENSE
For the first time since the 1970-71 season, the Gaels have scored 90 or more points in three straight contests. Saint Mary's last achieved this in a span between Feb. 15 and Feb. 20, 1971, with 111 points against Santa Clara, 93 at Nevada and 91 at UNLV. The Gaels have never scored 90+ points in four straight contests in program history. On the young campaign, Saint Mary's is averaging 96.7 PPG as a team, well above their program record for scoring offense in a season of 85.0 PPG set back in 1977-78.
GAELS EPITOMIZE RESILIENCE
In their first three contests of the year, Saint Mary's has overcome two second half double-digit deficits to force overtime. In the season opener against Illinois State, the Gaels trailed 58-48 with 12:34 remaining in regulation, before outscoring the Redbirds 42-27 down the stretch to pick up win number one for head coach Mickey McConnell. Six days later in Stateline, Nevada, the Gaels played comeback kids again, this time against the Nevada Wolf Pack, battling back from a 72-62 deficit with four minutes to go on a 17-7 run to close out regulation, eventually falling 96-95 in the overtime thriller. The Gaels did not play in an overtime game in 2025-26, but did play a pair of overtime contests in December of the 2024-25 season against UTSA and Boise State. The last time that the Gaels erased a second half double-digit deficit to force overtime was in the 2013 WCC Tournament, erasing a 45-35 deficit against San Diego to win 69-66.
DEFEND HOME COURT
Attention Gaels Fans! Help the Gaels add to their historic 28-game home unbeaten streak during this upcoming four game homestand by getting loud inside UCU Pavilion. Tickets are on sale for all four games as well as the entire home slate of Saint Mary's basketball at smcgaels.com/tickets. Don't miss out on history, as the Gaels quest for their sixth straight NCAA Tournament berth, fifth straight WCC Title and the first under head coach Mickey McConnell.Â
ABOUT THE FLAMES
UIC has been a program on the rise since the hire of now third year head coach Robert Ehsan. Ehsan inherited a team that had four consecutive losing seasons, but has had a winning record in each of his first two at the helm, and looks to make it three straight, something they haven't done since the 2001-04. The Flames are off to a good start to achieve that goal, opening up at 3-0 with wins over Saint Francis Illinois (DII), Robert Morris and UNC Greensboro at home, and now will have their first road test against the Gaels. UIC has proven to be something of a defensive juggernaut this year, forcing nearly 20 turnovers per game, including 12.3 steals per contest, helping limit teams to just 58.3 PPG. Leading that defensive charge has been Mekhi Lowery with seven steals and six blocks, to go along with his 11 PPG, while Rashund Washington Jr. has led the team in scoring at 17 PPG and rebounding at 7 RPG. This will be the first all-time meeting between the Gaels and Flames.Â
ABOUT THE VIKINGS
Portland State is coming off of their first Big Sky title in nearly two decades, and will look to stay atop their conference here in 2026-27. Sixth year head coach Jase Coburn has schemed up quite the non-conference schedule for his team to prepare them for conference play, playing seven true road contests, including four of their first five, culminating with Monday night's clash with the Gaels. The Vikings split their first two contests, defeating Lewis and Clark (DIII) 111-59 before falling to Seattle U at the Redhawks Center 79-60. They will play at Colorado State tonight and at San Francisco on Saturday before seeing the Gaels. While Portland State boasts a veteran roster featuring nine seniors, they've been led by a first year collegiate player, Russian National Yaroslav Nikonov, averaging 15 PPG. The Vikings will see the Gaels for the fifth time in program history, with the all-time series knotted up at two apiece.
Wednesday, November 04
Wednesday, November 04
Monday, November 02
Monday, November 02
