2026 WCC Tournament Semifinals: SMC Gaels

Game Preview/Recap
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Notional tip-time is 8:30 pm Pacific. Yesterday’s game against UOP got underway at 8:20, 20 minutes after schedule as is often the case in conference tournament games.

Your Broncos bring a 25-7 record (!!!) to the game, with a 42 NET ranking, 28 in the Torvik metrics. The Gaels are 27-4, Net 20 and Torvik 23. Torvik has the Gaels favored by about 1.5 points.

Throwing out the CBI team’s record (which gave 6 extra post-season games), this is only the second time the Broncos have won 25 games, the other being the 1968-69 team. It’s also the second most wins in a season for Herb, who can grab his 600th career win tonight.

In yesterday’s pregame programing, Joe Lunardi seemed to intimate that there is a path for the Broncos to dance without winning this one - but there are many resume and perhaps just importantly, pride reasons why it would be a great one to get. CBS had us as a 10 seed yesterday, now back to an 11. The import being - things are very fluid, very fragile but we’re far from dead with a loss.

Last time out in Moraga, the Broncos faded down the stretch, in no small part due to a 51-21 rebounding margin in favor of the Gaels. This Gaels team resembles many of the past - a talented guard duo who play almost the entire game, lots of front court length, slow pace and few obvious flaws.

Of course, the Broncos did beat the Gaels earlier this year in Santa Clara with a much more rational rebounding margin - out-rebounded slightly, 40-35. The Bronco blueprint for success can be somewhat diverse. I don’t remember a Bronco team with so many guys who conceivably could score 25 points on any given night. Allen Graves came off the bench last night and had a perfect shooting first half to counterbalance a hot shooting Tiger. That Tiger cooled off, and the Broncos ultimately didn’t. We may need that sort of thing again. In our WCC losses, it seems that foul-trouble in the front court and the attendant points in the paint/rebounding margin are our achilles heel.

The path to the dance for a team with 1 Q1 win is narrow indeed. We’re only in the position we’re in because we already beat these Gaels. This time, we don’t have to do it in their packed gym in Moraga.

Let’s exorcise some Demons and go get this one, Broncos.

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Hopefully Oboye decides to actually play basketball tonight.

Or maybe he was sick? Anyone have an inside scoop?

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Graves and Oboye are critical in keeping pace with the Gaels on rebounding margin. Mahi had a good rebounding night last night even as he struggled a bit on offense. And of course, Ensminger will need to provide his usual steady, stat-stuffing self to the affair.

But the offensive difference between the two SMC games was Hammond. His floater in the lane is the exact shot that Bennett’s defense gives up–the Broncos’ success against the Gaels has always been at the hands of good shooters, especially the ones who can convert from 4-8 feet out. When Hammond is hitting his floater, towering McKeever and Wessels have to take a step away from the hoop to contest which opens up the key way more. Hammond’s best game of the season was against SMC in Santa Clara, but he was mostly ineffective in Moraga.

In the last game, Knapper tried to use his incredible body control to run right into the bigs and hang in the air for tough layups–I think he tried it at least 3 times in Moraga. He has a lot of success with that against other bigs but not against SMC’s true 7-footers. Knapper will need to make wiser choices when he has the opportunity to score (or doesn’t).

I thought that Sash had a fairly excellent game last night. As the Broncos’ other potential flamethrower, he will need to find his own spots to knock shots down and loosen the Gaels defense.

SCU is 1-1 against SMC this season (so we know SCU can beat them) and that win in Santa Clara was a wire-to-wire victory, unlike in Moraga where the Broncos had a late first half lead before wilting. But if you’re looking for additional hope, look here: Saint Mary’s is significantly worse on offense in Away/Neutral games. Like a 60-spot drop in efficiency. Santa Clara’s offensive numbers are actually better away from Leavey.

So flush the 30 rebound margin from Moraga. The Gaels don’t get to play in UCU again. It’s a neutral floor, and the Broncos are the better team once SMC leaves Lamorinda. And SCU still has everything to play for: 71-66 Santa Clara

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All I know is I’m going to have a tough time falling asleep tonight no matter the result.

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A fun sub-plot for tonight: if the Broncos win, it will be Sendek’s 600th career win and will put him past Oregon State’s Slats Gill (of Gill Coliseum) on the all-time winningest coaches list.

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If anyone wants to say hi, I’m the 30-something in the Podz/Warriors jersey and jeans carrying around a copy of Bonhoeffer to read between games—was The Atlantic yesterday; whatever happens on the court, these other WCC fans need to know which school produces the real intellects :wink:

Say hi, and feel free to disclose/not disclose your screen name. I met a few great forum folks last night at the alum reception.

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My group will come say hello tonight! Go broncos!

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PattyMac….tell us in which section you are seated.

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106, row H, at an angle behind the SCU bench, maybe 15 rows up.

Based only on the handful of interactions I’ve had with Zag fans today, I have some hope that the “home” crowd will largely be with us tonight. I’ve gotten no wistful hopes for one last GU-SMC match. They all just want the Gaels to lose.

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I would also like to meet more of our SCU contingency. I wasn’t aware of an alum gathering but I am hopeful to connect with more of you today.

Go Broncos!

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Section 115, row D…..in the middle of a sea of Spokaners…..stop by and say hi.

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@PattyMac Pretty sure I met you at the alumni party last night but didn’t make the connection that it was “PattyMac” until this morning. I was the guy who said you have almost the same name as my brother (if that was indeed you) and I was the dude that won the first “complete the lyrics” contest (Scrubs by TLC :rofl:). Tonight I’m proudly wearing the new SCU shirt that was in my prize swag bag! That was a fun event.

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Ha! I put the connection together immediately but never want to out someone in public.

I hope you’re not in this crazy line. For everyone else, the game is supposed to be tipping off, but all of Spokane is in a line snaking through through the casino literally hundreds of yards from the arena. If they tip off in the next 5 min, there’s going to be a riot in the Orleans.

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ESPN hasn’t even started the pre-game, it seems

EDIT: Seems to have just started in the last minute or two.

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I thought I was clever and went outside to look for an entrance from the parking lot, but alas it filtered me to the same long ass line. :rofl:

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Maybe the time change was news to our friends from Eastern Washington and they got the tip off time wrong. I was in the same line, with disgruntled spokaners, but not having a dog in the fight, I just chilled.

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I wouldn’t say I loathe Gonzaga or anything (I certainly find them irritating, but it’s not a bad school or a dirty program)… but I think we’ve all seen this movie - currently playing on the Orleans Arena court yet again - enough times. It will be nice to have a new look league next year.

I would love to win tonight… Go Broncos.

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I can’t tell if the SMC people are hiding somewhere or maybe just waiting for our game. But my lay observation is 3:1 Santa Clara to SMC people. Then again, with the similar colors to GU, they can be hard to pick out of the sea of Zags.

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Tony Padilla is our guy again. Gave Herb a big, affectionate shoulder grab. Interpret it all as you will. Go Broncos!

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There must be some redeeming quality that keeps him in good enough graces to continue to do this for so long and on so many stages…

I personally don’t know what, though.

Go Broncos!

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