Saint Mary's vs. Gonzaga: Game Preview, Prediction

By Taylor Sturm
Gonzaga Bulldogs Basketball
Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

The Gonzaga Bulldogs are ranked No. 3 in the nation after several top teams have lost multiple game over the past few weeks, but their position is no fluke. The Bulldogs are 18-1 on the season and could easily be undefeated if it wasn’t for an overtime loss away from home against the Arizona Wildcats. Gonzaga boasts one of the best and most efficient offenses in all of college basketball, and their defense is one of the most all-around sound in the nation.

Gonzaga has a legitimate opportunity to win out in conference play and finish the season with one loss, but the team faces a tough task with the St. Mary’s Gaels next. The Bulldogs and the Gaels will face off at 11 p.m. ET on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2015 on ESPNU.

St. Mary’s sits at 15-3 on the season but suffers from a distinct lack of quality non-conference wins. They have jumped out as the second-best team in the West Coast Conference, but the NCAA Selection committee isn’t going to pick a team that won a bunch of games that they were supposed to win. This is as close to a do-or-die scenario as it can get for St. Mary’s, because a win could be the difference between the NCAA and the NIT.

Unfortunately for the Gaels, Kyle Wiltjer’s scoring and Kevin Pangos’ decision making will be too much to overcome. St. Mary’s has a legitimate chance to make it to the 2015 NCAA Tournament, but they aren’t going to pull off the upset.

Prediction: Gonzaga 75, St. Mary’s 64

Taylor Sturm is a Featured Basketball Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @TSturmRS, like him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.

Share On FacebookShare StumbleUpon

You May Also Like