The Saint Mary’s men’s basketball team hopes to extend its winning streak to eight games and pad its lead in the West Coast Conference with a win at Washington State on Saturday.
The Gaels (17-3, 7-0 WCC) are No. 25 in the NET rankings and on Kenpom. They’re averaging 76.5 points a game, which ranks No. 5 in the 11-team West Coast Conference, but they’re only giving up 60.6 points a night, which leads the league and ranks No. 7 in the country.
Saint Mary’s has held its past seven opponents to 60 points or less.
The Gaels ended Gonzaga’s streak of seven straight WCC championships last season. They’re well on their way to another title. Saint Mary’s is -115 on BetMGM to win the regular-season championship this year. They were picked to finish No. 2 in the preseason coaches’ poll.
Saint Mary’s is led by reigning WCC Player of the Year Augustas Marciulionis, who is averaging 13.7 points a game and ranks No. 4 in the conference with 113 assists. Six-foot-8 Arizona transfer Paulius Murauskas adds 12.8 points and 8.5 rebounds a night.
Washington State (15-6, 5-3 WCC) is trying to rebound from a disappointing performance in its 93-65 loss at Santa Clara on Thursday. The Cougars turned the ball over 17 times against the Broncos, and after shooting 53% in the first half, Washington State managed just 37% after halftime.
LeJuan Watts was a bright spot for the Cougars. He posted 20 points and 11 rebounds against Santa Clara and ranks No. 2 at Washington State with 14 points a night.
Saint Mary’s at Washington State Betting Odds
Saint Mary’s is a 5.5-point college basketball betting odds favorite on BetMGM against Washington State, and the Over/Under is 140.5 points.
The Moneyline is at -250 for Saint Mary’s and at +200 for Washington State.
Saint Mary’s at Washington State on TV
The West Coast Conference game featuring Saint Mary’s and Washington State will be televised on CBS Sports Network.
Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.
Saint Mary’s at Washington State Prediction
I predict Saint Mary’s wins, 78-70.
Washington State has one of the most potent offenses in the West Coast Conference. The Cougars rank No. 3 in the league with 80.8 points a game. They also rank near the bottom of the conference with a -2.57 turnover margin. That’s bad news against a team like Saint Mary’s, which dominates the paint as well as any team in the country.
The Gaels have three players that average more than 10 points and seven rebounds a night: Murauskas, 6-foot-6 fifth-year senior Luke Barrett (10.9 points, 7.3 rebounds), and 6-foot-10 center Mitchell Saxen (10.3 points, 8 rebounds).
Saint Mary’s also leads the WCC and ranks No. 9 in the country with 41.5 rebounds a game. The Gaels average 26.5 defensive rebounds a night, which means their opponents aren’t getting many second chances.
Washington State got dominated by Santa Clara around the rim. The Cougars were outrebounded 41-31, and Santa Clara scored 42 points in the paint. Washington State will have to get that fixed if it’s going to even hang with Saint Mary’s.
