On a day when six other top-10 men’s college basketball teams lost, No. 1 Gonzaga also succumbed to an upset.
Saint Mary’s, ranked No. 23 in the Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll, came out on fire to build a big lead and did just enough to stave off the Bulldogs (24-3, 13-1 WCC) in hanging on for a 67-57 upset on Saturday.
Gonzaga, the clear-cut favorite to garner the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament on Selection Sunday, hadn’t lost since early December, ripping off 17 straight wins before Saturday’s setback. It was the team’s first loss this season in the West Coast Conference, which is vastly improved this year and features four teams in the projected tournament field in USA TODAY Sports’ latest bracketology. The ‘Zags hadn’t lost in WCC play since Feb. 22, 2020, when it lost at Brigham Young.
The Gaels (24-6, 12-3 WCC) got huge plays from their veterans. Tommy Kuhse (14 points) paved the way in the inspired effort to secure the upset. Matthias Tass (13 points), Alex Ducas and Logan Johnson (each with 10 points) joined Kuhse in double figures.
Bubble Watch winners and losers:North Carolina surges as Virginia, Big 12 fringe teams falter
Wild finish:Florida State sinks Virginia on freshman Matthew Cleveland’s stunning buzzer-beater
Fans stormed the court at McKeon Pavilion, where the Gaels finished 16-0 this season.
“That’s really special,” Saint Mary’s coach Randy Bennett said of his team’s perfect home record. “It’s been hard to get. We lost it one…
![ZIP ANNOUNCES DEFINITIVE AGREEMENT TO ACQUIRE SEZZLE, SUPPORTING SUSTAINABLE GROWTH STRATEGY AND PATH TO PROFITABILITY AND EQUITY CAPITAL RAISE OF UP TO A$198.7 MILLION[1]](https://newzznow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Sezzle_Logo-75x75.jpg){kind=logo}
