PREMIUM
Rogers' 10* BIG MONDAY MELTDOWN >> MONSTER 26-13-1 NCAAB Run!
(NCAAB) BYU vs. Saint Mary's-California,
Point Spread: -5.00 | -106.00 Saint Mary's-California (Home)
Result: Loss
Point Spread: -5.00 | -106.00 Saint Mary's-California (Home)
Result: Loss
The set-up: No. 22 Saint Mary's nearly saw it's NCAA Tournament bubble burst in Saturday's WCC tournament quarterfinals in Las Vegas. The 28-4 Gaels needed to rally from a 15-point first half deficit to edge Pepperdine, 69-66 (Waves were the WCC's 10th-seed and finished their injury-plagued season with a 6-26 record). The second-seeded Gaels now move on to a semifinal matchup Monday with third-seed BYU, who squandered a 17-point lead and was tied with San Diego with three minutes to go before surging to an 85-79 victory (Cougars are 23-9). A St. Mary's win will almost assuredly set up a championship game showdown with the WCC's No. 1 seed Gonzaga, which is currently ranked 7th in the latest AP poll.
BYU: The Cougars lost 81-50 to Saint Mary's in last year's WCC Tourney semifinals and enter tonight's matchup on a five-game losing streak to the Gaels, including a 74-64 overtime loss in Provo back on Dec. 30. "I think our guys would be excited (to play Saint Mary's again) because we played them tough both games, for the majority of the games," BYU head coach Dave Rose told the Salt Lake Tribune. "You look forward to the opportunity to change the outcome." The one-two punch of junior guard Elijah Bryant (17.9 & 6.4) and 6-8 sophomore forward Yoeli Childs (17.5 & 8.7), who combined for 49 points in the win over San Diego, lead the Cougars with sophomore point guard TJ Haws (12.0 & 4,2 APG) also averaging in double figures. However, no other Cougar averages more than 6.0 PPG.
St. Mary's: Pepperdine jumped out to a 19-4 lead on the Gaels and led 62-57 with 4:17 to go but forward Calvin Hermanson came to the rescue, sinking three consecutive three-pointers over a two-minute span. "It wasn't pretty but we will take the win," Saint Mary's head coach Randy Bennett told reporters. WCC Player of the Year, the 6-11 Jock Landale, leads the Gaels in scoring (21.3) and rebounding (10.3). The 6-6 Hermanson adds 11.0 PPG (on 44.4 percent shooting from three-point range) and PG Naar is the team's third double digit scorer (10.4) while averaging a healthy 8.0 APG to rank 2nd nationally to Oklahoma's Trae Young. Two other starters, guards Ford (9.9) and Krebs (8.0 & 4.2), just miss double digit territory.
The pick: After getting 'scared' by Pepperdine, I expect St. Mary's to bring its "A-game" to this contest. The Gaels shoot a nation's best 51.5% from the floor as a team (are 10th from three-point range at 40.8%) and defensively, have held opponents to a modest 63.8 PPG (11th). Landale presents a big problem for a many teams but he has been especially troublesome for BYU. Landale had 31 points and 13 rebounds in the overtime win in Provo and finished with 32 points and 14 rebounds in a 75-62 victory over the Cougars on Jan. 25 at home. The Gaels get their showdown with Gonzaga with an easy win over BYU. Make St. Mary's a 10* play.
BYU: The Cougars lost 81-50 to Saint Mary's in last year's WCC Tourney semifinals and enter tonight's matchup on a five-game losing streak to the Gaels, including a 74-64 overtime loss in Provo back on Dec. 30. "I think our guys would be excited (to play Saint Mary's again) because we played them tough both games, for the majority of the games," BYU head coach Dave Rose told the Salt Lake Tribune. "You look forward to the opportunity to change the outcome." The one-two punch of junior guard Elijah Bryant (17.9 & 6.4) and 6-8 sophomore forward Yoeli Childs (17.5 & 8.7), who combined for 49 points in the win over San Diego, lead the Cougars with sophomore point guard TJ Haws (12.0 & 4,2 APG) also averaging in double figures. However, no other Cougar averages more than 6.0 PPG.
St. Mary's: Pepperdine jumped out to a 19-4 lead on the Gaels and led 62-57 with 4:17 to go but forward Calvin Hermanson came to the rescue, sinking three consecutive three-pointers over a two-minute span. "It wasn't pretty but we will take the win," Saint Mary's head coach Randy Bennett told reporters. WCC Player of the Year, the 6-11 Jock Landale, leads the Gaels in scoring (21.3) and rebounding (10.3). The 6-6 Hermanson adds 11.0 PPG (on 44.4 percent shooting from three-point range) and PG Naar is the team's third double digit scorer (10.4) while averaging a healthy 8.0 APG to rank 2nd nationally to Oklahoma's Trae Young. Two other starters, guards Ford (9.9) and Krebs (8.0 & 4.2), just miss double digit territory.
The pick: After getting 'scared' by Pepperdine, I expect St. Mary's to bring its "A-game" to this contest. The Gaels shoot a nation's best 51.5% from the floor as a team (are 10th from three-point range at 40.8%) and defensively, have held opponents to a modest 63.8 PPG (11th). Landale presents a big problem for a many teams but he has been especially troublesome for BYU. Landale had 31 points and 13 rebounds in the overtime win in Provo and finished with 32 points and 14 rebounds in a 75-62 victory over the Cougars on Jan. 25 at home. The Gaels get their showdown with Gonzaga with an easy win over BYU. Make St. Mary's a 10* play.
