Saint Mary's Favored Over Santa Clara in WCC Semifinal

Gaels look to advance to conference championship after week-long break

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

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The West Coast Conference semifinal matchup between Santa Clara and Saint Mary's features two teams with contrasting seasons. Santa Clara had a strong 25-7 regular season, but the WCC is considered a weak conference. Saint Mary's, on the other hand, had just four losses on the year, including one to Santa Clara earlier in the season. The Gaels are favored by 3.5 points, but may start slowly after a week-long break since their last game.

Why it matters

This game will determine which team advances to the WCC championship game. While Santa Clara had a solid season, Saint Mary's is considered the stronger program and a favorite to win the conference title and earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

The details

Santa Clara is led by a strong interior presence averaging 25 points per game, along with guard Christian Hammond who shoots efficiently from the field, three-point range, and the free throw line. Saint Mary's counters with Paulius Murauskas to match up inside, while their backcourt features good shooters who take care of the ball. The Gaels' only lopsided loss this season came against Vanderbilt, with their other three defeats coming by 8 points or fewer.

  • Saint Mary's last played on February 28, defeating Gonzaga.
  • This game is the third meeting of the season between Santa Clara and Saint Mary's, with each team winning one.

The players

Paulius Murauskas

A key interior presence for Saint Mary's who will match up against Santa Clara's strong frontcourt.

Christian Hammond

Santa Clara's starting guard who shoots over 50% from the field, 40% from three, and 80% from the free throw line.

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What they’re saying

“I'd expect Saint Mary's to start a bit slowly in the game. They only have four losses this season, and those were to Vanderbilt, Boise State, Santa Clara (as mentioned), and Gonzaga.”

— David Troy, Author (outkick.com)

What’s next

The winner of this semifinal game will advance to the West Coast Conference championship game.

The takeaway

This matchup features a strong mid-major program in Saint Mary's against an overachieving Santa Clara squad. While the Broncos had a solid regular season, the Gaels are the favorites to prevail and continue their quest for an NCAA Tournament bid.