Gaels Defeat Broncos in West Coast Conference Semifinals

The Saint Mary's Gaels (25–7) punched their ticket to the West Coast Conference Title Game for the third time in as many years, defeating the Santa Clara Broncos (20–13), 79–65 on Monday night in Las Vegas. The Gaels entered the game having not trailed the Broncos in their previous two meetings, and while Santa Clara took a, 11–10 lead at the 14:50 mark of the first half, that lasted for only 24 seconds. The Gaels quickly regained a lead that they would not relinquish for the remainder of the game. 

Alex Ducas guided the Gaels to a 33–26 lead at the halftime break. Ducas buried his first two three point attempts of the game, opening a floodgate that saw him eventually tie the program record with six made triples in a single half. The last Gael to accomplish this feat? Patty Mills in a 2009 matchup against Gonzaga. 

Ducas also led SMC in scoring in the first half with 18 points on 6–7 shooting, all from beyond the arc. WCC Player of the Year Augustas Marciulionis went for six first half points and two assists, sitting the final six minutes of the half after picking up his second foul. WCC Defensive Player of the Year Mitchell Saxen scored three points to go along with six rebounds as part of a +3 rebounding effort for the Gaels. 

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Part 2: Gaels Turn up the Heat

Both teams converted at a higher percentage in the second half, but the Gaels in particular shot an astonishing 62.1% from the field, bullying their way on the interior to score 30 second half points in the paint. That was all the separation they needed to pull away from the Broncos. Mason Forbes was the biggest scoring threat for the Gaels, imposing his will to the tune of 16 second half points on 7–8 shooting from the field. Aidan Mahaney, Augustas Marciulionis, and Mitchell Saxen combined to shoot 9–12 in the second half, accounting for 21 of the Gaels’ points in the latter frame. 

The Broncos got as close as four points in the opening three minutes of the half, but the Gaels responded with a 7–0 run to take their first double-digit lead at the 15:54 mark. Saint Mary’s rode that momentum all the way to the final buzzer. 

Alex Ducas finished with 21 points to lead the Gaels on 7–11 shooting from three. The seven made threes tied his career-high. Mason Forbes finished with 18, one short of his Saint Mary's career-high set in his debut. Aidan Mahaney and Augustas Marciulionis split point guard duties, with Mahaney scoring 13 points and six assists, and Marciulionis scoring 10 points and four assists. Mitchell Saxen and Luke Barrett each ripped down eight boards, as the Gaels outrebounded the Broncos 35–24. The Gaels finished the night shooting 53.6% from the field, while picking up assists on 20 of their 30 made baskets.

Ducas Makes It Rain in the Desert

Playing in his final WCC Tournament, Alex Ducas reminded fans very quickly that the Orleans Arena is his house. Ducas tied his career-high with seven made three pointers, six of which came in the first half. The six three pointers in a single half tied the program record, as Ducas now shares that record with Patty Mills (January 2009 vs. Gonzaga), Chris Johnson (February 1995 vs. Cal State Northridge), and Josh Unruh (February 1995 vs. San Francisco). Ducas’ 6–7 clip from three in the first half also tied Chris Johnson for the fewest three point attempts to reach six makes in a single half. With his 21 points on Monday night, Ducas is averaging double-digit scoring for the first time this season. He had already surpassed his season-bests in rebounding and assists coming into this game, and he added four of each to his impressive totals. 

Another Super Senior Shines, Too

While Alex Ducas led the Gaels in scoring, fellow "super senior" Mason Forbes was not far behind, with 18 points. Forbes converted from the field at an 8–9 clip, with every one of those shots coming within 10 feet of the basket. Forbes’ 18 was one off of his season-high of 19, scored in his Gael debut against Stanislaus State, and four off of his career-high set in his time at Harvard. This kind of performance was exactly what the Gaels needed, especially with Mitchell Saxen picking up four fouls with more than 12 minutes to go in the contest. 

Make That 20 Dimes

For the eighth time this season, the Gaels notched at least 20 assists in a contest. When the Gaels have reached 20 or more assists, they are a perfect 8–0. Augustas Marciulionis led the way with six assists, while Aidan Mahaney and Alex Ducas each added four. With Monday’s performance, the Gaels have reached the 500 assist mark as a team for the first time since the 2017–18 season, when Emmett Naar logged 284 helpers on his own. 

Next Up: WCC Tournament Championship

The Gaels will be back in action on Tuesday, March 12 at 6 p.m. in the WCC Tournament Title match against Gonzaga, who defeated San Francisco on Monday evening. 

READ MORE: This story as it appears at SMCGaels.com

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Story updated March 12 at 11:30 a.m. Pacific.