Gonzaga-Saint Mary’s Set for WCC Showdown, with Rivalry Stakes and NCAA Implications
For two weeks now, West Coast Conference fans have had one burning question: Will Gonzaga’s Graham Ike be back on the court in time for Saturday night’s marquee matchup against Saint Mary’s?
The answer, according to Zags head coach Mark Few, is looking like a yes. The two-time All-WCC forward has missed the last three games with an ankle injury, but Few said he expects Ike to suit up when the sixth-ranked Bulldogs host their longtime rival. Still sidelined is forward Braden Huff, who’s dealing with a knee injury that could keep him out for another month.
On the other side, there’s no mystery surrounding Saint Mary’s star Paulius Murauskas. The junior forward from Lithuania has been the engine behind the Gaels’ success this season, and he’s taken a noticeable leap - not just in production, but in maturity.
“I think I took a step from last season,” Murauskas said. That’s putting it mildly.
He leads the WCC in scoring at 19.3 points per game and is pulling down 7.5 rebounds a night. He’s not just filling the box score - he’s leading.
This weekend’s matchup isn’t just another chapter in one of the best rivalries on the West Coast - it’s the final regular-season meeting between these two in Spokane as conference opponents. Gonzaga is heading to the reconfigured Pac-12 next year, adding an extra layer of significance to an already heated series.
Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. PT on ESPN.
The Gaels (19-3, 8-1 WCC) and Zags (21-1, 9-0) have split their last six meetings, and they’ll meet again in Moraga on February 28 in what could be a regular-season title decider. But don’t forget about Santa Clara (18-5, 9-1), who’s wedged between them in the standings and very much in the hunt.
For Saint Mary’s, the emergence of younger players has helped, but make no mistake - this is Murauskas’ team. He’s the only returning starter from last year’s squad, and he’s embraced the spotlight. Just ask Santa Clara head coach Herb Sendek.
“He’s a tremendous player,” Sendek said, even after his Broncos held the Gaels to 54 points in a win two weeks ago. “He came into this game averaging 20 a game. That’s really hard to do, especially when you’re at the top of the scouting report night after night.”
What’s changed in Murauskas’ game? A lot.
He’s become more consistent and far more aggressive. He leads the conference in both free throws made (132) and attempted (157), more than doubling his attempts from last season.
And he’s hitting them at an 84% clip - up from 74% a year ago.
“The thing that’s different this year is Murauskas is really, really aggressive,” Few said. “He’s become a really, really good player.”
That aggression has paid off. He’s scored at least 12 points in all but one game this season.
Compare that to last year, when he could drop 30 one night and disappear the next. “That bothered me,” Murauskas admitted.
“I wanted that to change.”
He was particularly motivated after a rough finish to last season, averaging just 6.8 points and shooting 28% over the Gaels’ final five games - including a scoreless performance in the WCC title game against Gonzaga, where foul trouble limited him to 14 minutes.
“I was kind of sad because I had a great year and I finished the season bad,” he said. “That was like a kick in the butt.”
So he went to work. He spent the offseason training in Moraga, back home in Lithuania, and in Los Angeles, where he got in reps with NBA-caliber players. The results speak for themselves.
“I think the biggest difference for him is leadership,” Saint Mary’s head coach Randy Bennett said. “He’s grown up.
He gets it. He’s more professional.
I didn’t know he could be what he is this year.”
Bay Area Teams on the NCAA Bubble
It’s been nearly three decades since the Bay Area sent three men’s teams to the NCAA Tournament - 1997, to be exact. That year, Cal and Stanford both reached the Sweet 16, and Saint Mary’s also punched a ticket. The year before, four teams - Cal, Stanford, Santa Clara, and San Jose State - made the field.
Could history repeat itself? It’s possible, but the margin for error is razor-thin.
Right now, ESPN’s bracket expert has just one local squad safely in the field: Saint Mary’s, projected as a No. 9 seed with a strong No. 30 NET ranking.
Santa Clara (NET 44) is right on the bubble, listed among the “first four out.” Cal (NET 56) and Stanford (NET 78) are a little further back, in the “next four out.” All three programs are trying to end long tournament droughts: Santa Clara hasn’t been to the Big Dance since 1996, Cal since 2016, and Stanford since 2014.
Santa Clara has won five straight and will try to keep the streak alive Saturday at LMU (11-12, 2-8 WCC).
Cal (15-6, 3-5 ACC) has a chance to boost its résumé Saturday with a road win at Miami (17-4, 6-2), which sits at No. 36 in the NET. Stanford (14-7, 3-5) travels to Florida State (9-12, 2-6), who just knocked off Cal earlier this week.
Women’s NCAA Picture: Stanford In, Others on the Fringe
On the women’s side, Stanford (15-7, 4-5 ACC) is projected to be one of nine ACC teams in the NCAA Tournament field. That’s the good news.
The not-so-good news? Cal (13-9, 4-5 ACC) and Santa Clara (17-5, 8-2 WCC) aren’t even listed among the first or next four out.
Cal, sitting at No. 54 in the NET rankings, has a golden opportunity to climb with a win Sunday at home against seventh-ranked Louisville (20-3, 10-0 ACC), who’s currently tied atop the conference.
Santa Clara, under first-year head coach Loree Payne, is off to its best start since the 2000-01 season. But with a NET ranking of 61, the Broncos likely need to win the WCC tournament to secure their first NCAA bid since 2005.
Bottom Line: Saturday night’s Gonzaga-Saint Mary’s clash is more than just a rivalry game - it’s a battle for WCC supremacy, a measuring stick for March, and possibly the end of an era. With Graham Ike expected back and Paulius Murauskas playing the best basketball of his career, the stakes couldn’t be higher.