No. 4 UCLA Beats No. 5 Saint Mary's, Will Face UNC in Men's NCAA Tournament Sweet 16
Mar 20, 2022
UCLA guard guard Johnny Juzang (3) shoots above St. Mary's guard Tommy Kuhse (12) during the first half of a second-round NCAA college basketball tournament game, Saturday, March 19, 2022, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer)
No. 4 UCLA is on to the men's Sweet 16 for the second year in a row after a 72-56 win over No. 5 Saint Mary's.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored 15 points before coming out because of an ankle injury, while the entire offense remained efficient with a 56.5 shooting percentage in Saturday's second-round matchup at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. UCLA led by seven at halftime and never trailed in the second half on the way to a convincing win.
After reaching the Final Four a year ago, the Bruins are in good shape for a return with each of the top two seeds already eliminated in the East Region.
UCLA will try to keep it going against North Carolina, the East Region's No. 8 seed that upset No. 1 Baylor on Saturday.
Saint Mary's was seeking its first Sweet 16 appearance since 2010, but the impressive season has come to an end despite 18 points from Logan Johnson.
Balanced Offensive Attack Helps UCLA Survive and Advance
Jaime Jaquez entered Saturday as one of the hottest players in the country, averaging 22 points over his last six games. The forward kept it up with a dominant opening half, scoring 15 before intermission to keep the Bruins in front.
The preseason All-American was a major reason the Bruins reached the Final Four last year, averaging 22.8 points across six NCAA tournament games. Juzang looked off as of late, however, scoring just nine points in Round 1 before a quiet start in Round 2.
He finally found his stroke in the second half, finishing with a respectable 14 points in the win.
The depth became even more important when Jaquez suffered an ankle injury late in the second half.
Jaquez's health becomes a major story going forward for UCLA, but the remaining players were enough to win this round. They will be even more important in later rounds as Juzang, Bernard and Tyger Campbell try to pick up the slack.
Saint Mary's Unable to Solve Bruins Defense
Saint Mary's appeared confident out of the gates with a 20-13 lead about 10 minutes into the game, but the team learned scoring would not be easy against the Pac-12 squad.
The Bruins flexed their defensive muscle to go up 36-29 by halftime.
Outside shooting was a saving grace early for the Gaels, but the shots stopped falling on the way to finishing 7-of-21 from three-point range.
The Gaels passed the ball well yet still found few easy looks at the net and finished with their lowest scoring output since a January loss to BYU.
UCLA especially picked up the intensity down the stretch, pulling away after Saint Mary's cut the margin to seven. It was enough to earn an impressive win over a quality opponent.
That was a Mick Cronin UCLA team performance tonight. Excellent defense effort and hustle. Efficient 2 pt offense and limiting turnovers. W/Baylor and Kentucky out of the region, anything less than a final four is a failure imo.
Saint Mary's pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the season when it beat Gonzaga, but it hadn't seen many opponents with the size and athleticism of UCLA. This was the difference as the Gaels saw their season come to an end.
Chet Holmgren, No. 1 Gonzaga Lose to No. 23 Saint Mary's in WCC Upset
Feb 27, 2022
Saint Mary's center Mitchell Saxen (10) celebrates with forward Kyle Bowen (14) after scoring next to Gonzaga guard Rasir Bolton during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Moraga, Calif., Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
For the first time since 2019, the Gonzaga Bulldogs have lost to the Saint Mary's Gaels.
The No. 23 Gaels dominated the No. 1 Bulldogs from start to finish Saturday at University Credit Union Pavilion for a 67-57 win. Saint Mary's improved to 24-6 with the victory, while Gonzaga dropped to 24-3.
Gonzaga entered Saturday's game having not lost since a 91-82 loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide on Dec. 4. This weekend's upset could affect their ranking in the Associated Press' Top 25 poll.
Both Chet Holmgren and Drew Timme had underwhelming performances for the Bulldogs. Holmgren finished with six points, six rebounds and one assist while shooting 3-of-7 from the floor.
Timme, meanwhile, had one of his worst games of the season as he finished with six points, eight rebounds and two assists on 2-of-10 shooting from the floor. If the duo had played even slightly better, things could have turned out differently on Saturday night.
As a team, the Bulldogs struggled on offense, shooting just 36.7 percent from the floor. In addition, they turned the ball over 14 times.
As for Saint Mary's, Tommy Kuhse and Matthias Tass combined for 27 points, nine rebounds and four assists. Performances off the bench from Mitchell Saxen and Jabe Mullins were also critical in the Gaels' victory.
With the Gaels' upset of Gonzaga, every team ranked in the top six of the AP Top 25 lost on Saturday. It is the first time ever that the top six ranked teams all lost in the same day.
Randy Bennett, Saint Mary's Reportedly Agree to 10-Year Contract Extension
Nov 10, 2017
FILE - In This Nov. 19, 2016, file photo, St. Mary's coach Randy Bennett reacts to a referee's call during the second half an NCAA college basketball game against Dayton in Dayton, Ohio. Freshly ousted with an early exit in the West Coast Conference tournament, Saint Mary's made the quiet flight home and returned to campus. Coach Randy Bennett sent home the seniors and called a team meeting for the underclassmen that began about 10 p.m. He did the talking, for about an hour: The Gaels hadn't been close to good enough and this would be a painful lesson. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)
Saint Mary's and head men's basketball coach Randy Bennett reportedly agreed to a 10-year contract extension Friday, according to ESPN's Jeff Borzello.
Borzello added that the extension will keep Bennett under contract with the Gaels through the 2026-27 season.
The 55-year-old Bennett has been the head coach at Saint Mary's since 2001-02, posting a 362-156 record during his 16-year tenure.
Bennett has led Saint Mary's to six NCAA tournament berths and five trips to the NIT over the past 13 campaigns.
The Gaels have been the West Coast Conference regular-season champions on three occasions during his tenure, and the WCC tournament champions twice.
After three straight NIT appearances, Saint Mary's returned to the NCAA tourney last season, posting a 29-5 record overall, which was its best mark under Bennett.
The Gaels earned a No. 7 seed in the tournament and beat No. 10 VCU in the first round before getting knocked off by No. 2 Arizona.
Saint Mary's hasn't won less than 20 games since 2006-07, and Bennett has been rewarded with three WCC Coach of the Year nods.
The Gaels will enter the 2017-18 season ranked No. 22 in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll behind only No. 18 Gonzaga among WCC teams.
Calvin Hermanson of Saint Mary's Throws Down Thunderous 1-Handed Slam
Mar 16, 2017
BR Video
Saint Mary's forward Calvin Hermanson put quite the exclamation point on his team's victory over VCU near the end of Thursday's first-round NCAA tournament contest.
With under five minutes to play, Hermanson accepted an Emmett Naar pass from behind the half-court line and deposited a monstrous one-handed dunk with a hand in his face to put Saint Mary's up by 10 points.
The Gaels went on to defeat the Rams 85-77.
2013 NCAA Tournament Predictions: St. Mary's vs. Middle Tennessee State
Mar 18, 2013
The opening round of this year’s NCAA Tournament will feature a matchup between two of the last at-large bids to make it into the field of 68. The West Coast Conference’s St. Mary’s Gaels will face off against the Sun Belt’s Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders for the right to face Memphis this upcoming Thursday in the first round of the Midwest Region. Tuesday night’s game in Dayton, Ohio is set to tip off at 9:10 p.m. (ET), and it will be broadcast nationally on TruTV.
St. Mary’s run through the WCC this season included 15 victories and three losses to the No.1 team in the country, Gonzaga. The Gaels are 27-6 overall and 15-14-1 against the spread. The total has gone “over” in three of its last four games.
The Blue Raiders were stunned as the No.1 seed in the Sun Belt Tournament when it lost 61-57 to Florida International as 13-point favorites. MIddle Tennesse State comes into this matchup 28-5 SU overall and 14-14-1 ATS after going 1-2-1 ATS in its last four games. The total has gone over in four of its last six outings.
St. Mary’s vs. Middle Tennessee Betting Storylines
As the second-best team in its conference, the Gaels relied heavily on an offense that averaged 75.5 points a game while shooting 47.4 percent from the field. There is solid balance throughout its lineup with four different players averaging over 10 points a game led by Matthew Dellavedova’s 15.8 points average. He also led the team in assists with 6.4 a game.
Defensively, St. Mary’s gave up an average of 63.3 points a game this season and pulled down 37.1 rebounds a game. Brad Waldow led the way in this category with 6.1 rebounds with Mitchell Young a close second with 5.5. The only injury concern on the roster is with Jorden Page, who remains questionable with a knee injury.
Middle Tennessee cruised through its regular-season conference schedule with an overall record of 19-1. The only loss came to Arkansas State in a 66-60 overtime loss on Jan.3 as a 4.5-point road favorite. The Blue Raiders actually beat FIU by a combined 21 points in two previous games this year, making last week’s loss all the more puzzling.
This is another team that can put the ball in the basket with an average of 71.2 points a game and a respectable 46.3 shooting percentage from the floor. Marco Knight is the only player on the team scoring in double figures with an average of 12.5 points a game, but the bench still runs pretty deep with six other players averaging at least six points a game. The Blue Raiders were a bit stingier on defense in allowing an average of just 57.8 points a game
St. Mary’s vs. Middle Tennessee Betting Odds and Trends
St.Mary’s has been opened as a three-point favorite by BetOnline for Tuesday’s matchup with the “over/under” line set at 130.
The Gaels are 1-4 ATS in its last five neutral-site games, but 7-2 ATS in its last nine games played on a Tuesday. The total has stayed under in its last seven games following an ATS loss.
The Blue Raiders are 4-9 ATS in its last 13 games against a team with a winning record and 0-3-1 ATS in its last four games played at a neutral site. The total has stayed under in 13 of its last 19 neutral-site games.
2013 NCAA Tournament Predictions: St. Mary’s vs. Middle Tennessee Betting Picks
If it were not for having to play Gonzaga three times this season, the Gaels would probably be a lower seed than 11 for this tournament. It is a solid team that should be able to give Memphis all it can handle after getting by Middle Tennessee on Tuesday night by more than three points.
The Saint Mary's Gaels have won 19 of their last 21 games, but both losses in that span have come against the Gonzaga Bulldogs, which can't be ignored when making your college basketball picks Monday night...
March Madness Sleeper Series: How Saint Mary's Could Shock the World
Mar 11, 2013
Saint Mary's run through the WCC should have been good enough to earn a championship and a lot of attention nationally.
The Gaels went 14-2 and won 10 of those games by double digits.
Unfortunately, they decided to have arguably their best team ever the same year fellow WCC mates Gonzaga decided to do the same.
The Gaels will play the Zags for the third time in Monday's WCC final, and it's likely they'll fall for a third time. They just don't have the bodies to match up with Gonzaga down low. Few teams do.
Yet the Gaels do have one of the best players in the country in Matthew Dellavedova, who has Olympian, all-time leading scorer, assist leader and most three-pointers in school history in his bio.
They have one of the best offenses in the country, mostly because of Dellavedova. And they will likely play in the NCAA tournament for the third time in four years. Again, mostly because of Dellavedova.
They may not have what it takes to beat the Zags, but that doesn't mean they're not set up to go on a run.
Why Saint Mary's is Dangerous
1. Gaels Have Previous Tourney Experience
The Gaels might be getting more love if they had made it past the first round last season.
As a No. 7 seed, they got a bad draw in 10th-seeded Purdue. The Boilermakers had plenty of experience, led by fifth-year senior Robbie Hummel, and they went 10-8 in a tough Big Ten.
If that's not enough proof Purdue was really good, remember that it took a miraculous comeback by national runner-up Kansas to knock off the Boilermakers in the second round.
In the first round, the Gaels led the Boilermakers in the final minute after Dellavedova found Jorden Page for a three to go up one with 45 seconds left. Purdue would make four straight free throws following Page's three to win the game.
Bottom line, the Gaels have been in some postseason battles.
That was apparent in the WCC semis against San Diego.
Dellavedova did not play his best game, missing nine of his first 10 shots. But the senior leader got free for a corner three to send the game to overtime, and the Gaels went on to win.
That sort of cool comes from playing a lot of games that matter.
Dellavedova and Page, who starts alongside his fellow Aussie, both played as freshmen on a Sweet 16 team.
The Gaels entered that tourney as a 10 seed after knocking off Gonzaga in the WCC final by 19 points. They upset Richmond in the first round to record their first NCAA tournament win since 1959 and then beat No. 2 seed Villanova before losing to Baylor in the Sweet 16.
All Dellavedova did as a freshman was play 118 of 120 minutes in that tourney run.
Dellavedova also has the Olympics to draw on as tournament experience, which he told CBSSports.com's Matt Norlander helped his game:
I think, overall, just playing against men who know how to play the game, who are smart, big and strong, generally playing well—it helps. When you're trying to map a play, the window and space to make it is smaller, and the time is shorter as well. It helps your decision-making, playing against the physicality and skill.
An Olympic point guard with four NCAA tourney games under his belt sounds like a player ready to lead his team this month.
2. Delly's Elite
It's not just the experience that makes Dellavedova well-equipped to manage a team in the postseason; the man has some game as well.
His numbers—16.2 points, 6.4 assists, 38.1 percent from three and 87.7 percent at the free-throw line—stack up against any elite point guard in the country.
To truly appreciate Dellavedova, you have to see him at work.
SMC coach Randy Bennett gives Dellavedova as much control on the offensive end as any player in the country. The Gaels run endless ball screens for Dellavedova and let him make reads on the fly.
"It's a point guard's dream. There's a lot of freedom to make plays," Dellavedova told Norlander.
Typically, the Gaels get one of three results:
Dellavedova keeps the ball and pulls up for a three or drives to the basket.
A defender either slides over to help on Dellavedova or leaves his man on the perimeter, and Dellavedova will find the open man for a layup or three.
The pass Dellavedova makes serves as a hockey assist, as it leads to another pass to an open teammate as the defense shifts.
As Bennett told Norlander:
"He can see guys before they come, how they're going to guard the screen. He knows where the help comes on each one."
In the WCC semis, San Diego built its game plan around trying to take away Dellavedova's good looks, and even though he had only seven points, he was still productive by dishing out 12 assists.
Delly can also dominate with his scoring. The closest the Gaels got to knocking off the Zags this year was when Dellavedova dominated the first half in Moraga by scoring 19 of his team's 33 points.
You watch us play; there's never a dead-ball or free-throw situation where he doesn't get the whole team in the huddle to let us know what play we're going to run next, or to compliment somebody on something, or to tell somebody something they can do better. He's always lifting the team up; he's really a coach on the floor.
And if all that is not enough, Dellavedova is clutch, too, as evidenced by the three against San Diego and this shot that knocked off BYU.
3. Gaels Can Beat You From Deep
The beauty of Dellavedova dominating the ball is that he gets his teammates good shots.
Saint Mary's gets a layup or a three a majority of the time, rarely shooting the shot that provides the least efficiency in college basketball (the mid-range jumper).
The Gaels attempt 37.7 percent of their field goal attempts from beyond the arc, and according to Hoop-Math.com, 41 percent of their attempts come at the rim.
The Gaels shoot 62 percent at the rim and 37.8 percent from three, which is good for the third-most efficient offense in the country. According Ken Pomeroy's numbers, they score 1.16 points per possession.
Dellavedova shoots most of the threes—he's 80 of 210 (38.1 percent)—and he's usually on the floor with at least three other long-range shooters. Stephen Holt, James Walker, Page and Levesque all have made 35 or more threes this year.
Brad Waldow benefits the most from Dellavedova's assists in the paint. Waldow, who scored a career-high 23 against San Diego, averages 10.2 points per game and shoots 87 percent of his field goal attempts at the rim.
This sort of approach has not only benefited Saint Mary's this year, but other teams have gone on March runs with a ball-dominant point guard and by shooting a lot of threes.
Last season, Ohio made it to the Sweet 16 with a team that took 38.4 percent of its attempts from deep, and point guard D.J. Cooper played a role similar to Dellavedova.
The last two VCU teams that won tourney games shot close to 40 percent of their attempts from three, and the 2011 team was led by Joey Rodriguez, a point guard who could shoot from outside and was great at getting his teammates open looks.
For smaller schools without great size inside, an elite point guard and jacking a lot of threes become the great equalizer in March.
Teams Saint Mary's Could Beat in NCAA Tournament
1. Kansas State: The Wildcats thrive on forcing turnovers and have not had a great field-goal percentage defense, especially defending the three-point line. Big 12 opponents shot 35.7 percent from deep. Counting on Dellavedova to turn the ball over and not getting out to shooters is how you get beat by Saint Mary's.
2. Arizona: Apparently, the Wildcats don't defend the three well. Arizona's opponents are knocking down 36.5 percent of their treys, and that number is up to 37.7 percent against Pac-12 teams.
Saint Mary's Basketball: NCAA Sanctions Add Pressure to Make Deep Postseason Run
Alex Ballentine
Mar 1, 2013
The Saint Mary's basketball program is making headlines for all the wrong reasons. Despite a 25-5 record, the Gaels are the talk of college basketball thanks to sanctions recently handed down by the NCAA.
According to an official statement from NCAA.org, the sanctions include four years of probation, a reduction in scholarships for the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons and recruiting restrictions.
The NCAA targeted head coach Randy Bennett for failing to monitor and promote an atmosphere of compliance and cited inappropriate handling of the international recruiting process as the reason for the sanctions:
Saint Mary’s College of California failed to monitor its men’s basketball program and a former assistant men’s basketball coach acted unethically in his recruitment of international prospects, according to a decision announced today by the Division I Committee on Infractions. The case also includes a failure to monitor and a failure to promote an atmosphere for compliance by the head men’s basketball coach as well as impermissible training and coaching sessions.
The Gaels are one of the most successful mid-major programs in the country. Unlike most mid-majors that can withstand a few years without the usual amount of talent, the Gaels have to remain competitive with fellow mid-major power Gonzaga to continue the high level of success they've come to expect.
While the NCAA sanctions may seem a bit harsh for the vague infractions that the program committed, they are fortunate that they are still eligible to participate in the postseason in 2013.
With a dark cloud hanging over the program, recruiting will prove to be difficult. Since their West Coast Conference rivals compete for many of the same recruits, the sanctions will be a big blow in their quest to keep up with the Bulldogs.
That factor alone makes this year's postseason even more important for the future of the St. Mary's program.
As we've seen with other teams that have been hurt by NCAA sanctions, winning can erase a lot of problems that arise in the wake of punishments. In football, Ohio State was able to go undefeated while under the weight of sanctions, and it didn't hurt the program one bit in terms of recruiting.
This is obviously a slightly different situation. Saint Mary's isn't the national brand that the Buckeyes are in football, but the principle remains the same. The best way for a school to emerge from sanctioning unscathed is to show that it can still win.
If the Gaels, who are almost a lock to wind up in the NCAA tournament, can manage to make a deep run in the tourney, it will give them the visibility they need to continue to attract recruits.
With restrictions on recruiting and scholarship reductions on the way, that would be a huge step for the Gaels in maintaining their status as one of college basketball's best mid-majors.
NCAA Places St. Mary's Hoops Under Probation, Suspends Coach Randy Bennett
Mar 1, 2013
The NCAA has placed the St. Mary's College basketball program under probation and suspended head coach Randy Bennett, citing a "failure to monitor its men's basketball program" (via CBSSports.com).
Widely considered one of the best international recruiters in the country, Bennett was disciplined specifically for his unethical international recruiting.
As a result, the 12th-year coach will not be allowed to recruit off campus indefinitely and will face a five-game suspension next season.
He has led the Gaels to four NCAA Tournaments, reaching the Sweet 16 in 2010 to cap a 28-6 season.
In addition to his suspension, the probation will result in a loss of scholarships (11, down from 13) in both 2014-15 and 2015-16. St. Mary's will still be allowed to participate in their conference tournament following this season and along with any postseason tournaments they receive berths to.
Bennett's team currently has six international players on his roster, with the most prominent being senior guard Matthew Dellavedova, who hails from Australia. He is one of three Australian players on the roster along with Matt Hodgson and Mitchell Young.
Eividas Petrulis is from Lithuania and Kyle Rowley is from Trinidad.
The NCAA Committee on Infractions also made the following statements regarding Randy Bennett, stating that the coach, "acted unethically in his recruitment of international prospects" and "failed to promote an atmosphere for compliance."
