In early February, the St. Mary’s Gaels sent out a press release indicating they had added Weber State to their schedule after the conclusion of the 2011 WCC tournament. It was meant as a tuneup if they won the tournament, but instead it turned into a dangerous speed bump when the Gaels lost in the finals to Gonzaga. A win would get them to 25 wins while a loss would likely kill their 2011 NCAA Tournament chances and end their bubble watch.
Fortunately for the Gaels they shook off the tough loss to Gonzaga and thoroughly dominated Weber State winning 77-54. Rob Jones led the way with 20 points and 13 rebounds, while Mickey McConnell added 15 points and eight assists.
The team now gets to wait out two days of conference championships, hoping teams can avoid the upset bug. The big game is Richmond vs. Temple in the A-10 title game. Richmond enters the game 25-7 with an RPI of 56. They’re on the bubble with a decent shot of making the tournament. However, if the Spiders win today it removes any doubt.
Additionally the Gaels will be rooting for Utah State to take care Boise State and Ohio State to dominate Michigan. The Wolverines probably make it in the tournament off the bubble, but a win over Ohio State would just about guarantee a Michigan spot in the Big Dance.