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Sometimes you want to make a quick pit stop, empty the bladder, grab a bag of salty snacks and limber up the limbs before hitting the open road again. For the fast-minded who enjoy simple $2 scratchers hoping to uncover the jackpot-winning image, here are quick thoughts and the lean on Saint Mary's vs. Gonzaga.
Saint Mary’s (24-4, 14-1) at Gonzaga (21-7, 12-3)
Date: Saturday, February 22
Time: 8 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN2
There’s nothing better than a good old-fashioned basketball blood feud.
Casual fans are familiar with heated rivalries like Duke-North Carolina, Indiana-Purdue, Xavier-Cincinnati and Kentucky-Louisville. They may receive more national pub every year, but Saint Mary’s vs. Gonzaga rightfully deserves its spot among contentious conflicts.
Out west, the antagonism runs deep. And it should.
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Both schools are distinguished graduates of the mid-major ranks, earning national recognition for their various accomplishments. Head coaches Mark Few (Gonzaga) and Randy Bennett (Saint Mary’s) are living legends, architects of a Frank Lloyd Wright scale.
The Zags may own a decisive 81-36 advantage in the all-time series, but the Gaels have repeatedly earned bragging rights in recent meetings. The Moraga reps have won three of the last four matchups, including a 62-58 victory inside the tight confines of University Credit Union Pavillon on February 1.
The pick — SGP: St. Mary’s +10.5, Game UNDER 150.5 (+100, Caesars)
For the home team, revenge is top of mind. In order to exact that, continuing to defend, conquering the boards and winning 50/50 balls are in order.
Over the last 30 days, the Bulldogs have regained their bite. Beating up mostly on the WCC’s lower half, they’re No. 7 on BartTorvik, slotting at No. 28 in effective field-goal percentage offense and No. 2 in effective field-goal percentage defense. They’ve drilled the occasional triples, but most of their production has come around the tin, as evidenced by their 66.6 near proximity percentage (No. 13 overall). In particular, Graham Ike and Ben Gregg have been a handful.
To pull the upset, Saint Mary’s needs to stick to what it does best — punching opponents in the mouth in the half court.
Over the last month, the Gaels rank No. 17 overall on BartTorvik, checking in at No. 89 in eFG% offense and No. 25 in eFG% defense. By waxing the glass, they’ve routinely dominated the interior and generated numerous offensive rebounds.
How bigs Mitchell Saxen and Harry Wessels perform in the post on both ends is key. Add in Augustas Marciulionis’ smooth orchestrations and accurate wrist flicks from deep (34.8 3PT%), and a regular-season sweep is definitely possible.
As witnessed repeatedly in recent years, this duel inside The Kennel is likely to come down to the final possession. In what should be a close game, the SGP above is how this ice-cold columnist — I’ve dropped seven straight of the last eight in this space — is playing it.
Please show mercy, gambling gods.
Season record: 19-22, -3.74 units