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Santa Clara Tops Saint Mary's in WCC Semis, Boosting NCAA Hopes
Third-seeded Santa Clara upset No. 21 Saint Mary's 76-71 with 14 lead changes to reach their first West Coast Conference final since 2007.
- On March 9, 2026, Santa Clara advanced to the WCC title game after defeating No. 21 Saint Mary’s 76-71 at Orleans Arena, to face Gonzaga on Tuesday night.
- Because the tournament winner receives an automatic NCAA bid, Santa Clara needed a win, as they were considered on the bubble entering the tournament, reaching the final for the first time since 2001.
- The game featured 14 lead changes and six ties, with Elijah Mahi adding 19 points and Allen Graves finishing with 10 for Santa Clara, and Paulius Murauskas with 26 and Mikey Lewis with 23 for Saint Mary’s.
- Herb Sendek, Santa Clara coach, notched his 600th career win, while Saint Mary’s Gaels could take a hit in NCAA tournament seeding despite expected inclusion in the field of 68.
- The WCC final will be the first since 2021 not to feature Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s, with Santa Clara facing Gonzaga at 6 p.m. on ESPN.
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Associated Press News+4 Reposted by 4 other sources
Santa Clara beats No. 21 Saint Mary's 76-71, advances to WCC title game vs Gonzaga
Sash Gavalyugov scored 23 points including a back-breaking 3-pointer to lead Santa Clara to a 76-71 victory over No. 21 Saint Mary’s in the semifinals of the West Coast Conference Tournament to take a big step toward making the Big Dance.
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MBB | Gaels Fall in Tightly Contested Semifinal Bout to Santa Clara, 76-71
In a game that featured six ties and 14 lead changes, the Santa Clara Broncos narrowly outlasted the Saint Mary's Gaels in Monday evening's West Coast Conference Semifinal Clash. Neither team led by more than seven points in this one, with the game buoying back and forth with one possession leads for most of the final 5+ minutes.
Coverage Details
Total News Sources10
Leaning Left7Leaning Right0Center1Last UpdatedBias Distribution88% Left
Bias Distribution
- 88% of the sources lean Left
88% Left
L 88%
12%
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