Saint Mary’s vs Santa Clara prediction, college basketball game preview, how to watch: Monday, March 7
Saint Mary’s vs Santa Clara How To Watch
Date: Monday, March 7
Game Time: 11:30 pm ET
Venue: Orleans Arena, Las Vegas, NV
How To Watch: ESPN2
Record: Saint Mary’s (24-6), Santa Clara (21-10)
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Saint Mary’s vs Santa Clara Game Preview, West Coast Conference Tournament
Why Saint Mary’s Will Win
The last time we saw Saint Mary’s it was busy dominating Gonzaga in a shocking 67-57 win to finish off a four-game winning streak coming into the tournament.
It showed off why it has one of the nation’s best defenses – teams are averaging jut 59 points per game against this group – it didn’t buckle under the pressure of the moment as the game went on, and it moved the ball around better than anyone has against the Bulldog D.
Santa Clara doesn’t have a big-time defense, it doesn’t force mistakes, and there’s a problem on the boards, especially on the offensive end.
However …
Why Santa Clara Will Win
There’s a reason the Broncos don’t come up with a whole lot of offensive rebounds – they don’t miss.
They move the ball around phenomenally well and generate easy shot after was shot. They don’t do a ton from three, but when they do, good things happen.
They’re sixth in the nation averring 49% from the field, and that showed in the 77-72 win over Saint Mary’s in early February – it hit 56% of its shots.
It lost the first time around 73-65, but it still did a nice job on the boards, and kept the pressure on. In the rubber match …
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Saint Mary’s vs Santa Clara: What’s Going To Happen
Don’t expect this to be too crazy of a shootout.
Santa Clara rolled Portland for 193 points in back-to-back games coming into this, and it’s been on a bender with 84 or more in five of its last six games.
The Broncos are coming in on a roll, and Saint Mary’s is coming in on fresh legs after a week off. Santa Clara will get up early, the Gael defense will clamp down starting late in the first half, and the grind of a second half will set up a rematch against Gonzaga for the conference title.
Saint Mary’s vs Santa Clara Prediction, Lines
Saint Mary’s 72, Santa Clara 66
Line: Saint Mary’s -5, o/u: 138.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 2.5
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