Saint Mary's Gaels Defeat Santa Clara Broncos in WCC Tournament

Saint Mary's advances to next round as a 4.5-point favorite over Santa Clara

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

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In the West Coast Conference Tournament, the second-seeded Saint Mary's Gaels defeated the third-seeded Santa Clara Broncos by a score of 86-67. Saint Mary's entered the game as a 4.5-point favorite and improved to 28-4 on the season, while Santa Clara's season ended at 24-8.

Why it matters

This victory keeps Saint Mary's on track for a potential NCAA Tournament berth, as they look to make a deep run in the WCC Tournament. For Santa Clara, the loss ends their season after a strong 24-win campaign, though they will look to build on this performance next year.

The details

Saint Mary's dominated the game, outrebounding Santa Clara 51-21 and shooting 49% from the field and 42% from three-point range. Paulius Murauskas led the Gaels with 18.6 points and 7.7 rebounds per game, while Mikey Lewis added 13.9 points. Santa Clara was led by Christian Hammond's 15.9 points per game, but the Broncos struggled to keep pace with Saint Mary's firepower.

  • The game was played on Monday, March 9, 2026 in the semifinals of the WCC Tournament.
  • Saint Mary's had a first-round bye as the second seed, while Santa Clara defeated Pacific on Sunday to advance.

The players

Paulius Murauskas

The leading scorer for Saint Mary's, averaging 18.6 points and 7.7 rebounds per game.

Christian Hammond

The leading scorer for Santa Clara, averaging 15.9 points per game and shooting 39.8% from three-point range.

Saint Mary's Gaels

The second-seeded team in the WCC Tournament, ranked 21st in the country with a 27-4 record.

Santa Clara Broncos

The third-seeded team in the WCC Tournament, finishing the regular season with a 24-7 record and 15-3 in conference play.

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What they’re saying

“We knew we had to come out strong and set the tone early. Our defense was the key to getting this win and advancing to the next round.”

— Paulius Murauskas (Saint Mary's Athletics)

What’s next

Saint Mary's will advance to the WCC Tournament championship game on Wednesday, March 11th.

The takeaway

Saint Mary's proved its dominance in the WCC with this convincing victory over a strong Santa Clara team. The Gaels' stifling defense and balanced scoring attack were too much for the Broncos to handle, setting up Saint Mary's for a deep postseason run.