The St. Mary’s Gaels kicked off the second half of their WCC season with a victory over the Pepperdine Waves. St. Mary’s currently stands 7-1 in conference play and 19-4 overall. The Gaels are 33rd in the RPI with a couple significant games left to boost their RPI. They still have to face Gonzaga at home and a Bracketbuster matchup against Utah State.
Moraga, CA (Sports Network) – Mickey McConnell poured in 26 points to lead the Saint Mary’s Gaels to a 79-71 victory over the Pepperdine Waves in a West Coast Conference clash at McKeon Pavilion. Rob Jones added 22 points and eight rebounds for Saint Mary’s (19-4, 7-1 WCC), while Stephen Holt and Kenton Walker II tallied 10 points apiece.
Keion Bell scored 24 points for Pepperdine (9-16, 3-5), while Lorne Jackson posted 16 points. Mychel Thompson chipped in 11 points and grabbed eight rebounds in the losing effort. Although the Gaels shot just 39.3 percent from the floor in the first half they were able to go into the break with a 34-27 lead.
Saint Mary’s was much better in the second stanza, as the team posted a 54.2 percent shooting effort, en route to the win. The Gaels connected on 23-of-28 attempts from the foul line in the victory.