It can’t end like this. This doesn’t have to be the last matchup between the two West Coast college basketball powerhouses under coaches Randy Bennett and Mark Few.
Yes, the No. 9 Gonzaga Bulldogs (28-3, 16-2 WCC) fell to the Saint Mary’s Gaels (27-4, 16-2 WCC) in the regular season finale in Moraga, California, 70-59. The hatred between the schools will always make for high-level competition, none more proven on this ESPN national stage with the lively duo of Dave Flemming’s play-by-play and Sean Farnham’s color commentary on the broadcast.
Few’s frontcourt came into tonight’s game already being hit hard with detriments, starting with redshirt junior forward Braden Huff, missing his 13th straight game with a left knee injury. On top of that, senior wing Jalen Warley was a late scratch from the roster for the second straight game with a left quad contusion. He was invaluable when containing Saint Mary’s junior forward Paulius Murauskas in the second half of Gonzaga’s first winning matchup back on Jan. 31 in Spokane, Washington, 73-65.
Warley’s absence made for yet another starting lineup variation under Few. The 13th of the season, in fact. That included freshman guard Mario Saint-Supery, graduate guard Adam Miller, junior wing Emmanuel Innocenti, graduate wing Tyon Grant-Foster, and graduate forward Graham Ike.
On a Saturday night on the campus of the small East Bay school with a 2,000 undergraduate population, it was the Gaels’ three-point shooting that stole the show. Freshman wing Mantas Juzenas of Kaunas, Lithuania, started the streak with his first two makes from deep at the start of the first half, finishing with 12 points on 4-for-6 three-pointers. He didn’t even take a two-point attempt and showed flashes of a 2025 NBA champion with the Oklahoma City Thunder, guard/forward Alex Ducas.
Those who are understanding of Saint Mary’s success since the turn of the century think of the Australian talent coming in. It’s been an entirely different recruiting change for Bennett and his staff recently. Moving to the likes of the Baltic states, with talent like Juzenas and Murauskas (nine points on 2-of-10 field goals, eight rebounds), combined with local Bay Area talent in the backcourt.
The majority of the three-point barrage for the Gaels in the win came behind a Zags’ killer over the past two years, sophomore guard Mikey Lewis. A native of ‘The Town’ fed off his home crowd’s energy, putting together a game-high 31 points on a memorable 7-for-13 from deep. The pride of Oakland, California, hit tough make after make in that second half. Lewis was the definition of dialed in.
It was a simple tale of two different halves for Few’s group. A great first half defensively while flying around the floor, but then Gonzaga’s perimeter defense fell apart after erasing a 10-point lead. The final 20 minutes lacked the effort and execution that should be expected from a potential top-3 seed in the NCAA Tournament field.
Coming out of the halftime locker room, Saint Mary’s opened up on a 13-2 run. A complete switch of perspective in the second half. The Gaels took advantage of the Zags’ lack of communication and their unwillingness to adjust. As a team, Saint Mary’s hit 16-of-33 looks from beyond the arc for 48 percent (most against their rival since Jan. 5) and held their opponent to 8-of-27 from the field for 29 percent in the second half.
The young position battle at point guard with Australia’s sophomore Joshua Dent (14 points on 4-for-6 three-pointers) against Spain’s Saint-Supery (zero points on 0-for-4 shooting, one assist/two turnovers in 20 minutes) was a highly-anticipated head-to-head in the backcourt coming in. Dent is yet another example from ‘Down Under’ of what Bennett has been able to bring in at the lead guard spot over the last couple of decades, steadying that annoying slow offensive pace.
Gonzaga’s Ike, still the West Coast Conference Player of the Year favorite, is not to be blamed for this loss. He had to deal with opposing student section chants of “F**k you, Ike” early and over the course of the game. He did eventually foul out with 3:44 left on the clock in the second half, but put in his best effort with 17 points on 7-of-14 shooting and 2-for-5 three-pointers, one assist/four turnovers. There were many chances for the veteran to let his emotions get the best of him with inconsistent calls, but he didn’t. Ike had his jersey pulled and was hacked with no whistle on multiple possessions throughout.
Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s came into the game tied exactly at 40.3 rebounds per game for the top of the West Coast Conference leaderboard. Winning the battle on the glass was the most important task in this historic bout, but the Zags failed in that department, 42-37. The Gaels’ seven-foot center combination of lone senior Andrew McKeever and redshirt junior Harry Wessels, plus impactful freshman wing Dillan Shaw, combined for 25 boards. Few’s frontcourt did come out on top heavily in points in the paint, 28-14.
Grant-Foster (10 points on 3-for-7 field goals, six rebounds, two assists/five turnovers) was everywhere early in the place of Warley’s starting spot, especially when protecting the rim. He had three volleyball spike-type blocks and was even caught chirping at Murauskas (nine points on 2-for-10 shooting, eight rebounds, two assists/three turnovers). The upbeat energy from Grant-Foster was infectious, but suddenly vanished in the second half as he had a tough time containing and staying in front of Lewis.
He still has an issue with being in control of his decision-making and shot selection through a full contest. Even with all the remarkable skills shown over his tenure, Grant-Foster can let the bright lights get into his head and his winning mindset at the inopportune times.
It can’t go unnoticed how much more confidence Miller (14 points on 5-13 field goals, 1-for-5 three-pointers) has shown in the month of February for the Zags. That’s a noticeable x-factor heading into March from the maybe not-as-vocal veteran. He’s starting to get in a more comfortable groove, knowing his role as a scorer and a resource to his teammates.
After Saint Mary’s now 25th straight home win, the Gaels have captured at least a share of the last four straight West Coast Conference regular-season crowns. The lucky fact is that this loss didn’t affect Gonzaga’s standing while heading into the West Coast Conference Tournament at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Zags will still come in as the No. 1 overall seed in the bracket and receive a quadruple bye into the semifinals. The No. 3 Santa Clara Broncos and No. 4 Oregon State Beavers are placed in the Sunday, March 8 quarterfinals matchups.
If Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s somehow don’t both end up in the West Coast Conference Tournament title game in Sin City on Tuesday, March 10, this can’t be the last meeting between the two. Even with the lack of air-conditioning inside the hot and sweaty University Credit Pavilion, it makes for the best that West Coast college basketball has to offer.
Over the last four seasons, it’s been a much more competitive head-to-head with the Gaels. Saint Mary’s has a 6-5 winning record, including the West Coast Conference Tournament. No team has beaten the Zags in five straight seasons since Few became head coach in the Pacific Northwest. Bennett has actually beaten Gonzaga 18 times in the last 22 seasons. For some context, the rest of the West Coast Conference has combined for 22 wins versus the Zags in that same span.
Understanding that Bennett and Few are close friends as well as competitors, a non-conference home-and-home series (not neutral) needs to be finalized in the offseason. Those early talks have surely been had between the two well-acquainted minds after Gonzaga made the move to the Pac-12 Conference and will continue.
Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on X @a_cravalho
