The Gaels Are No. 18 in the Country

After a commanding win over Pepperdine last week, the Gaels are now ranked No. 18 in the country by both AP and the USA Today Coaches polls. The Gaels have not lost a conference game this season. A win over University of San Francisco on February 20 gives Saint Mary's a winning streak of 14 games. That's the best of any team in the nation. 

Dig into basketball stats, and Saint Mary’s has climbed a notch to the No. 14 spot in the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) rankings. For these rankings, it’s number crunching that leads to the rankings—including winning percentage, opponents’ winning percentage, strength of schedule, game location, scoring margin, offensive and defensive efficiency, and the quality of wins and losses.

Saint Mary’s is known for a tough defense that grinds down opponents. In terms of numbers, the Gaels claim the No. 2 spot in the country when it comes to defensive efficiency.

The Gaels command the top spot in the West Coast Conference and are the only undefeated team in conference play, with a 12–0 record against WCC teams and 21–6 record overall. This puts the Gaels on the inside track to a regular season conference title, with Gonzaga in second place and San Francisco in third—each team with a 10–2 record in conference play. Saint Mary's will host both San Francisco and Gonzaga in the final weeks of the regular season, with a chance to pull even further ahead. 

UP NEXT: The Gaels host a Tuesday night matchup at home against University of San Francisco at 8 p.m., followed by a home Saturday night showdown with University of San Diego at 7 p.m. 

READ MORE: The Gaels Reach Triple Digits in a 103–59 Victory Over Pepperdine

Gaels Pick up Win Number 20 in Portland

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Story updated February 21, 2024 at 8:50 a.m.