LAS VEGAS — The West Coast Conference Championship comes down to a classic rivalry: No. 2 seed Gonzaga Bulldogs (24-8) vs No. 1 seed Saint Mary’s Gaels (24-8). Gonzaga vs Saint Mary’s will get underway on Tuesday, March 11 at 6 p.m. Pacific Time, with the WCC title and a ticket to the NCAA Tournament on the line.
When the Bullodgs and Gaels tip off Tuesday, it will be an exact repeat of the past three WCC title games. But after Saint Mary’s walked away with the crown last season, the Zags will look to get back to their winning ways and claim their 22nd championship in just the 39-year existence of the conference.
How to Watch and Stream
Gonzaga vs Saint Mary’s will be televised on ESPN at 6 p.m. pacific time Tuesday.
The game will be available for streaming on the ESPN app, but TV Provider login is required. It will also stream on ESPN’s streaming service ESPN+. Streaming platforms like Hulu+ Live TV, YouTube TV, Fubo TV, and others should carry ESPN as well.
Betting Odds
Gonzaga opens up as 3.5 point favorites to beat Saint Mary’s and win their 22nd West Coast Conference championship, and the over/under opens at 137.5 on ESPN Bet. Gonzaga Moneyline odds are -170 and Saint Mary’s is +145 to win.
Gonzaga vs Saint Mary’s Game Notes:
THE OPENING TIP
– Gonzaga faces top-seeded and No. 21 Saint Mary’s in the finals of the 2025 Credit Union 1 West Coast Conference Championships in the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas Tuesday at 6 p.m. GU makes its 28th straight appearance in the tournament finals.
– The Zags advanced to their NCAA record 28th straight conference tournament final by beating third-seeded San Francisco Monday, 85-76. Graham Ike totaled 27 points and 10 rebounds, and Khalif Battle scored 21. Ryan Nembhard had eight assists.
– Nolan Hickman, Graham Ike, and Ryan Nembhard were named First Team All-West Coast Conference. Ike and Nembhard earned the honor for the second straight season, while Hickman was second team in 2023-24.
– Ryan Nembhard broke the West Coast Conference for most assists in a single season (currently at 319, previous record was 284) and most assists in conference play, finishing at 181.
– Nembhard became the 51st player in NCAA Div. 1 history to reach 800 career assists, and is now at 852. His 319 assists are first in the nation, to only 74 turnovers. He broke his own single season assist program record. Nembhard’s 10.0 assists per game also tops the country. His 4.31 assist-to-turnover ratio is second.
– As a team, the Zags are first in the nation in assists per game at 19.9 and assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.07. Gonzaga’s 366 assists were the most in conference play broke the league’s record of 341 set by Loyola Marymount in 1989-90.
– GU is 2nd in the country at 87.5 points per game, 2nd in field goal percentage (50.2), and 3rd in free-throw percentage (80.2).
– Since Jan. 24, Bart Torvik computer ratings ranks GU eighth in the nation, with the 13th best offense and 22nd best defense.
– Khalif Battle is first in the nation from the free-throw line at 93.5 percent (1st in WCC). Graham Ike (60.2%) is first in the WCC, and 15th in the country, in field goal percentage.
– Gonzaga is one win from extending its NCAA Div. 1 record to 18 consecutive seasons with 25 victories.
– Gonzaga clinched its 28th straight 20-win season, which ranks as the second longest active run in the country. (Kansas 33)
– Mark Few was named one of 17 finalists for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a first-time nominee.
SCOUTING THE GAELS
– Saint Mary’s advanced to its fourth straight WCC Tournament Championship game after easing to a 74-59 win over ninth-seeded Pepperdine in Monday’s semifinal.
– SMC won its eighth straight game behind another dominating effort on the glass. The Gaels outrebounded Pepperdine, 45-22, turning 15 offensive rebounds into a 17-5 advantage in second chance points. Paulius Murauskas finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Augustas Marciulionis added 15 points and five assists. Luke Barrett chipped in 13 points. Saint Mary’s outscored the Waves 46-26 in the paint.
– The Gaels top the country in rebound margin (10.6), fifth in scoring defense (60.8), and 10th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.64) and offensive rebounds (14.06).
– Marciulionis repeated as the league’s Player of the Year, and Mitchell Saxen was named the WCC Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight season. Murauskas was the WCC Newcomer of the Year. Mikey Lewis was tabbed the conference’s Sixth Man of the Year.
– Three Gaels average double-digit scoring led by Marciulionis’s 14.4 points per outing. He adds 6.1 assists and 1.4 steals. Saxen enters the game No. 3 in the nation in offensive rebounds per game at 4.19. The senior also averages 10.3 points and 1.3 steals. Murauskas is scoring 12.9 points per game. He leads the league pulling down 8.2 rebounds per outing, with Saxen second at 8.0.
SERIES INFO
– This is the 119th all-time meeting between Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s. The Bulldogs lead the series 82-37, winning 26 of the last 35 meetings.
– The Zags and Gaels have played more times than any other two teams in the nation over the last 10 years, meeting 28 times with GU winning 18 of the matchups.
– Gonzaga is 57-17 against SMC under Mark Few.
– The Zags are 18-4 against SMC in the WCC Tournament, winning eight of the last 10 meetings in the event.
– Since the tournament moved to Las Vegas in 2009, only Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s have won the title. (GU 12/16) The programs have played every year in Las Vegas with two exceptions in 2015 and 2018. Prior to the event moving to Las Vegas, SMC and GU met only eight times in the tournament.
– The teams have faced off in the tournament 13 of the past 15 years, and in the finals in each of the past three years (GU 2-1), five of the last six (3-2), and seven of the last nine (5-2). The Gaels and Zags have met 14 times in the WCC Tournament finals, all since 2004, with GU winning 10.
– In the last meeting, No. 24 Saint Mary’s held off the Bulldogs 74-67 in Spokane on Feb. 22. Graham Ike led GU with a game-high 19 points. Nolan Hickman scored 14 points. Ryan Nembhard had 11 points and eight assists. Mitchell Saxen had 16 points and a game-high nine rebounds for SMC. Mikey Lewis added 18 points with five three-pointers.
– Saint Mary’s won the first matchup this season, 62-58, in Moraga on Feb. 1. Graham Ike led the Bulldogs with 24 points and eight rebounds. Ryan Nembhard added 11 points, 12 assists and three steals. The game featured six ties and six lead changes, GU had the lead with 6:15 remaining in regulation, and the score was tied at 58 with 50 seconds left.
– The Bulldogs are 27-21 all-time at Saint Mary’s.
– Gonzaga is 37-12 all-time at home against SMC.
– The Bulldogs won the first all-time meeting between the programs, 94-77, in Spokane in 1955.
THE BEST IN THE WEST
– Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s have finished in the top two of the West Coast Conference standings in 13 of the past 14 seasons, and 16 of the last 20 seasons. (SMC: second in 2021-22 and 2022-23, fourth in 2013-14 and third in 2006-07)
– The last 24 regular season titles have been won or shared by Gonzaga or Saint Mary’s. The Zags have won or shared 21, while SMC has won or shared four.
– The last 14 WCC Tournament titles have been won by either Gonzaga or SMC. GU has 11 of those 14 titles.
UP NEXT
– Gonzaga awaits its next opponent and postseason fate with Selection Sunday coming up. The NCAA Tournament selection show is Sunday at 3 p.m.
– Gonzaga has 25 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, with 26 overall. The 25 straight berths to the field is the third-longest current streak in the nation (Kansas and Michigan State).
VIVA LAS ZAGAS
– Gonzaga is 67-17 all-time in the West Coast Conference Tournament with 21 titles and 31 finals appearances, including each of the last 28 seasons.
– The Zags are 53-6 under Mark Few in the WCC Tournament with title-game appearances in all 26 seasons.
– The Zags are 34-4 in the WCC Tournament since 2009, when the event moved to Las Vegas.
– GU’s four losses in the event in Las Vegas have all been to Saint Mary’s, the 2010, 2012, 2019 and 2021 championship games.
– The Bulldogs were 34-13 in the conference tournament prior to it coming to Vegas.
– The Zags have never lost an opening game of the tournament in Las Vegas, winning all 17.
– Gonzaga has won the opening game of tournament the past 28 years, dating back to a loss in 64-59 in the 1997 quarterfinals to fourth-seeded San Diego as a fifth-seed.
– The Bulldogs are 33-6 in opening games at the event, including 14-6 in the quarterfinals (nine straight wins).
– Gonzaga has won in the WCC tournament semifinals in each of the past 28 years. The Zags last loss in the WCC semifinals was 1994, 83-75, to San Diego in Santa Clara.
– The Bulldogs are 31-2 in semifinal games at the tournament, winning all 17 in Las Vegas.
– Gonzaga is 12-4 in the WCC Tournament finals played in Las Vegas.
– The Bulldogs are 21-9 in championship games at the tournament.
