Saint Mary's Gaels challenge No. 6 Gonzaga Bulldogs in WCC showdown

Gaels look to pull off upset on the road against the heavily favored Bulldogs

Jan. 31, 2026 at 7:55pm

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The Saint Mary's Gaels will travel to Spokane, Washington to take on the 6th-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs in a key West Coast Conference matchup. Saint Mary's enters the game with a 19-3 record and an 8-1 mark in conference play, while Gonzaga is 21-1 overall and riding a 14-game winning streak. The Bulldogs are 8.5-point favorites at home, but the Gaels have covered the spread in 5 of their last 8 games and have a history of pulling off upsets against their conference rival.

Why it matters

This game represents a crucial test for both teams as they jockey for position in the WCC standings. Gonzaga is looking to solidify its status as one of the nation's elite programs, while Saint Mary's is aiming to prove it can compete with the conference powerhouse and potentially earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.

The details

Saint Mary's is led by Paulius Murauskas, who is averaging a WCC-best 19.3 points per game, along with Joshua Dent and Mikey Lewis. The Gaels play stifling defense, holding opponents to just 65.6 points per game. Gonzaga, meanwhile, is paced by Graham Ike and Braden Huff, though Huff is expected to miss this game due to injury. The Bulldogs are scoring 88.9 points per game, the 12th-highest mark in Division I.

  • This game will take place on Saturday, January 31, 2026 in Spokane, Washington.

The players

Paulius Murauskas

The leading scorer for Saint Mary's, averaging 19.3 points per game in the WCC.

Graham Ike

Gonzaga's leading scorer, averaging 18.1 points and 8.8 rebounds per game.

Braden Huff

Gonzaga forward who is expected to miss this game due to injury, averaging 17.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.

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What they’re saying

“This will be a great test for us against one of the top teams in the country. We're looking forward to the challenge.”

— Randy Bennett, Head Coach, Saint Mary's Gaels

“Gonzaga has been the team to beat in the WCC for years, but we believe we have what it takes to compete with them this season.”

— Paulius Murauskas, Forward, Saint Mary's Gaels

What’s next

The winner of this game will take a big step towards securing the regular season WCC title and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The loser will still have work to do to solidify its postseason positioning.

The takeaway

This matchup between two of the WCC's top teams should be an exciting and hard-fought contest. Saint Mary's has the defensive chops to keep it close, but Gonzaga's offensive firepower and home-court advantage make them the favorites. However, the Gaels have proven they can pull off upsets against the Bulldogs in the past, setting the stage for an intriguing conference clash.