In Las Vegas, Saint Mary’s secured a convincing victory against Pepperdine with a final score of 74-59 in the West Coast Conference Tournament semifinals on Monday night. Augustas Marciulionis and Paulius Murauskas both contributed 15 points, helping the team advance. As a result, the top-seeded and 19th-ranked Gaels will meet second-seeded Gonzaga in the championship clash on Tuesday night. The winner will claim the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
The Gaels, boasting a 28-4 record, have been on a successful run, securing seven consecutive victories and triumphing in 17 of their last 18 games. Holding the title of defending tournament champions, the team is preparing for its fourth consecutive appearance at the NCAA Tournament. Luke Barrett also played a key role for Saint Mary’s, adding 13 points to the team’s tally.
On the other hand, Pepperdine, with a 13-22 record, made an unexpected journey to the semifinals, overcoming three higher-seeded teams to face Saint Mary’s. Moe Odum led Pepperdine with 19 points, while Stefan Todorovic contributed 10 points to the team’s efforts.
This marks the fourth consecutive year that Saint Mary’s has reached the WCC Tournament final. The Gaels faced Gonzaga in previous finals, losing twice before defeating them 69-60 last year to halt the Bulldogs’ sequence of four straight conference titles. Saint Mary’s has now reached the title game six times over the past seven years.
Throughout the tournament, Odum had been instrumental for Pepperdine, scoring over 15 points and delivering more than 10 assists in each of the first three games. However, in this match, after scoring 12 points in the opening 12 minutes, Odum was unable to add to his tally for more than 14 minutes.
Saint Mary’s showcased their strength in the lane by outscoring Pepperdine 46-26, which was a decisive factor in the game. A crucial period in the match was when Pepperdine went 5 minutes and 29 seconds without scoring a field goal during the first half, allowing Saint Mary’s to establish a 39-27 lead.
A notable statistic for the Gaels is their perfect 24-0 record when scoring at least 70 points, and they managed to hold 27 of their 32 opponents this season to under 70 points. As the competition advances, Saint Mary’s is now set to face Gonzaga in the title game, while Pepperdine’s season has come to an end.
