They’ll still go down as the winningest team in Saint Mary’s history, but the Gaels’ ninth NCAA Tournament run came to close Saturday evening in Salt Lake City at the hands of Pac-12 champion Arizona.
The Gaels and Wildcats have traded preseason scrimmages in years past, so calling the Gaels’ fourteenth ever NCAA Tournament game a blind date wouldn’t be a fair assessment.
However, what’s fair to say is how yet another high-profile game involving Saint Mary’s came down to rebounding and a battle of the big men. The matchup between Jock Landale, and in this case, Arizona big man Lauri Markkanen, turned into the primary storyline in the Gaels’ 69-60 loss.