Although Saint Mary's chance of sharing the West Coast Conference regular-season title for the second consecutive season virtually vanished when it lost to Gonzaga on Saturday, the Gaels still have a major goal that is achievable.
That goal is to earn an NCAA Tournament berth, and that will be the motivation when the Gaels host Loyola Marymount (12-13, 5-9 WCC) on Thursday at McKeon Pavilion.
You might think that with a No. 22 ranking and two of its three losses to No. 1 Gonzaga, Saint Mary's (22-3, 12-2) would be practically assured of the NCAA Tournament berth.