Gonzaga vs. Saint Mary’s: A Rivalry Renewed with WCC Supremacy on the Line
When it comes to college basketball rivalries, few matchups have been as consistent-and as consequential-as Gonzaga vs. Saint Mary’s.
Over the past decade, these two West Coast Conference powerhouses have squared off 29 times, more than any other programs in the country. Gonzaga owns the overall edge with 19 wins, but the recent trend tells a different story.
Saint Mary’s has taken five of the last nine meetings, including back-to-back wins inside the notoriously tough McCarthey Athletic Center. That’s a big reason why the Gaels have claimed the last two WCC regular-season titles.
Now, the rivalry gets another chapter this Saturday at the Kennel, and the stakes couldn’t be much higher. Gonzaga, ranked sixth nationally, brings a 21-1 record (9-0 in WCC play) into the showdown, holding a narrow one-game lead over Saint Mary’s (19-3, 8-1). Santa Clara (18-5, 9-1) is also in the mix, making this a three-team sprint for the regular-season crown.
Let’s break down the key storylines heading into Saturday’s clash-starting with the point guards, where both teams entered the season with new faces at the helm, and both have found answers.
Josh Dent: The Gaels’ New Floor General
Saint Mary’s sophomore Josh Dent has stepped into the starting point guard role and looked like anything but a sophomore with just 84 minutes of college basketball under his belt last season. Averaging 13.3 points, 5.4 assists, and shooting 36.1% from deep, Dent has been a steady hand and a confident leader from the jump.
What makes Dent’s rise even more impressive is that he didn’t follow the typical Saint Mary’s path. Most of the Gaels’ standout point guards-think Jordan Ford, Tommy Kuhse, Logan Johnson, Augustas Marčiulionis-spent a year or two learning the ropes before taking the reins. Dent skipped the apprenticeship and still looks like a seasoned vet.
His game has shades of both Marčiulionis and Mickey McConnell. Like Marčiulionis, Dent has a knack for getting into the paint and making the right read-either finishing at the rim or kicking it out to an open shooter.
And like McConnell, now an assistant on Randy Bennett’s staff, Dent can knock down the three at a high clip. He’s not as physically imposing as either of those guys, but he’s held his own defensively, which is always a must in Bennett’s system.
A Faster, Sharper Saint Mary’s Offense
Saint Mary’s is still very much Saint Mary’s-disciplined, methodical, and defensively sound-but there are some noticeable tweaks to the formula this season. The Gaels are scoring 78.6 points per game, the second-highest mark in Bennett’s 25-year tenure, while allowing 64.5, which is on the high side by their standards.
So what’s driving the uptick in pace and production?
1. Tempo: The Gaels are pushing the ball more. No, they’re not running like the old UNLV Runnin’ Rebels or even the current Zags, but with Dent, Mikey Lewis, and Dillan Shaw, they’ve got the personnel to get out in transition and they’re using it.
2. Shooting: They’re lighting it up from deep.
As of midweek, Saint Mary’s led the WCC in three-point percentage at 37.6%. Shaw (43.0%), Lewis (37.2%), and Dent (36.1%) are all reliable threats, and reserve Liam Campbell is hitting a scorching 54.1% from beyond the arc (20-for-37).
That’s a huge jump from last season, when the Gaels were near the bottom of the league in three-point shooting.
3. Free Throws: This might be the most underrated part of their offensive improvement.
Saint Mary’s leads the nation in free-throw percentage at 81.0%, a massive leap from last season’s 69.5%, which ranked last in the WCC. That kind of consistency at the line is worth a few extra points a night-and in tight games, that matters.
Paulius Murauskas: WCC Player of the Year Candidate
Junior forward Paulius Murauskas has taken a major step forward this season and is firmly in the WCC Player of the Year conversation. He’s averaging 19.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists, up from 12.1 points per game a year ago. He’s also living at the free-throw line-157 attempts already this season, compared to 113 all of last year-and converting at an elite 84.1% rate.
What’s changed? It’s not so much about adding flashy new moves.
The biggest difference is his decision-making when defenses collapse. He’s become a smarter passer, more willing to dish out of double teams, which keeps the offense flowing and prevents stagnation.
The Gaels are using him in isolation more often, and he’s making teams pay-either by scoring or drawing fouls.
Saturday’s Showdown: What to Watch
So what’s going to decide Saturday’s game in Spokane?
For Saint Mary’s, it starts with ball security. The Gaels had turnover issues early in the season, and while they’ve cleaned things up, Gonzaga still forces around 15 turnovers a game. If the Zags can create chaos, get out in transition, and turn SMC mistakes into easy points, it could swing the game in their favor quickly.
**For Gonzaga, the key is rebounding. ** Saint Mary’s leads the WCC in rebounding margin at +11 per game, and the Zags will be without Braden Huff and possibly Graham Ike.
That’s a big blow to their frontcourt depth. Gonzaga doesn’t necessarily have to win the battle on the glass, but they can’t afford to get dominated.
If Saint Mary’s ends up with a double-digit edge in rebounds, it’s going to be tough for the Zags to keep pace.
The Bottom Line
This isn’t just another conference game-it’s a heavyweight bout between two programs that know each other inside and out, with a potential WCC title on the line. Gonzaga wants to protect home court and reassert its dominance. Saint Mary’s wants to prove, once again, that the road to the WCC crown no longer runs solely through Spokane.
Tipoff can’t come soon enough.