It's time to get serious for Saint Mary's.
The Gaels are in familiar territory as they prepare for their first taste of the 2018 West Coast Conference Tournament. After dominating most of the regular season, the Gaels once again find themselves playing second fiddle to Gonzaga, the regular-season WCC champs.
On Saturday, No. 16 Saint Mary's can take its first step toward wresting away the tournament title that the Zags have won 17 of 19 years when the second-seeded Gaels face Pepperdine. A win against Pepperdine would most certainly lock up an NCAA Tournament at-large bid at the worst.