The game came down to the wire the last time the Cougars fought the Gaels, but the ball did not bounce WSU’s way. Now, the Cougars have a chance for revenge when they head to Saint Mary’s for a match against the West Coast Confence’s top squad on Saturday.
It is no secret the past five weeks have not gone the way the Cougars hoped. Losses at Pacific, Oregon State and San Francisco on their last road trip put a dagger in their March Madness hopes. However, WSU got back on track with an 88-87 win over Pepperdine last weekend and now prepare to take on a team they played very close in January.
Saint Mary’s (22-4) has been leading the WCC all year. However, they lost their first conference game last week, a 65-64 loss at San Francisco. Although they still appear to be a lock for the NCAA tournament, the Gaels’ weaknesses got exposed and WSU could do the same.
At home, the Gaels have been nearly unbeatable. They are 12-1 at home, with their lone loss coming against Utah State (21-3). They recently had a close call when hosting Gonzaga, a game they won by just four points.
Still, the Gaels will go into the game as the clear favorites. They are ranked No. 19 by the NET rankings and received the 31st most votes in last week’s AP Poll.
WSU meanwhile, is ranked No. 98 by the NET rankings and has not received a single AP vote this year. On the KenPom rankings, the gap between the Cougs and Gaels is even greater, with St. Mary’s sitting at No. 22 while WSU is ranked No. 107.
The last time the Cougars played the Gaels, sophomore forward Paulius Murauskas played a key role in the Gaels’ victory. He knocked down 23 points and secured 12 rebounds, dominating the Cougs in the paint. Senior guard Augustas Marčiulionis also had a big game against Wazzu, going for 19 points and seven assists.
Coach David Riley said this time around, the team is focusing on their defensive approach and trying to get back to being a strong defensive team.
“There’s definitely some things we think we can do to attack them and score on them,” said Riley. “We gotta guard them a little better…we need to get our defense back on track to, to stopping teams and being disruptive.”
After their game on Jan. 25, Nate Calmese expressed disappointment from the loss but said he believed the team could eventually be at their level.
“We just gotta get there, we just gotta keep working,” said Calmese. “Keep getting better, keep watching the film…we’re right there with a top 25 team.”
The return of Isaiah Watts to the lineup for WSU could help them this time around. Watts was questionable to play against Saint Mary’s in January but ultimately had to sit out another game as he recovered from his left-hand injury. Watts has been back for two weeks now and has been getting more comfortable on the court.
Senior forward Ethan Price, who scored 20 points against the Gaels in January, expressed his desire for victory and his belief the team could pull it off.
“Last game, I think it was a five-point game, being able to go toe-to-toe with a team that’s top of the conference is always good,” said Price. “We’re gonna have to play really well but we can definitely do it.”
The game is at 7 p.m. and will be broadcast live on ESPN+. The ESPN matchup simulator gives Saint Mary’s a 90.1% chance at victory.
