No. 17 SMC Beats Santa Clara, Earns Spot in WCC Tournament Final
LAS VEGAS – Tommy Kuhse won’t ever forget his last game at University Credit Union Pavilion.
Enveloped in a sea of students, celebrating a victory over No. 1 Gonzaga alongside a crazed partisan crowd, Kuhse soaked in the electricity provided by his fellow students, fans, and the entire SMC community in attendance.
Thanks to a 75-72 victory over Santa Clara on Monday, Kuhse and the Gaels will get one more shot at the Bulldogs, and this time it will be with the West Coast Conference Tournament title hanging in the balance. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. on Tuesday, the game will be broadcast live on ESPN, and fans who haven’t made the trip to Las Vegas can join a watch party inside Dryden Hall on campus.
Kuhse doesn’t take these opportunities for granted. By now, his story is well-documented. He is the walk-on turned scholarship athlete who elected to come back for the 2021-22 season for a sixth season of Gaels basketball. He has become a leader for the Gaels as they’ve climbed to No. 17 in the national rankings and solidified their spot in the upcoming NCAA Tournament.
There are several reasons he decided to stay in Moraga given the chance.
Yes, basketball is the obvious one, but through his time at Saint Mary’s, personal growth has also come from the opportunities afforded by having a great experience as a SMC student with plenty of support from Gael supporters.
“I think the real special thing was going through the whole COVID year and not having them there, then being able to see them there in that fashion was awesome,” Kuhse said. “It was so fun to celebrate with them and get that win for them.”
Success has followed off the court as well. He earned a spot on the 2021-22 WCC All-Academic Team thanks to a 3.61 GPA, making the list for the second time in his career.
In so many ways, Kuhse also embodies the mantra that seems to have caught on as Saint Mary’s modus operandi for the 2021-22 season.
The Mesa, Ariz. Native has always been one to hit the deck when needed, diving for loose balls and scrapping to make any play he could. As this season has progressed though, he’s also taken the role of playmaker and scorer. He leads the team with 35.8 minutes played per game entering the WCC Tournament, and against Santa Clara he poured in a season-high 27 points.
Gritty not pretty, indeed.
“He creates the opportunities for me and for the other guys on the court, which is just huge because he gets us those open looks,” said Gaels center Matthias Tass. “We’ve been pretty good at moving the ball around and getting our teammates shots. It all starts with the guy on my left. He calls out the plays, he facilitates, and gets those shots for myself and others.
Kuhse’s time in Moraga isn’t quite over, and no matter Tuesday’s result, fans will get one more chance to see the 2021-22 Gaels up close and personal in Moraga. That will come on Sunday, March 13 when Saint Mary’s hosts a NCAA Tournament Selection Sunday watch party inside University Credit Union Pavilion.
“It’s a family. We have our little basketball family, but the whole school is a family,” Kuhse said. “If you want to be part of something really cool and make some friends that you’ll remember for the rest of your life, this is the place.”
WCC Championship Game
No. 17 Saint Mary’s vs. No. 1 Gonzaga
Tuesday, 6 p.m.
Orleans Arena, Las Vegas
TV: ESPN
Live Audio: The Varsity Network
SMCGaels.com Santa Clara Recap
In-game content
Twitter: @SMCGaels, @SaintMarysHoops, @StMarysCA, @GaelAlumni
Instagram: @SMCGaels, @SaintMarysHoops, @StMarysCA, @GaelAlumni
Traveled to Vegas?
Join your fellow Gael fans at 5 p.m. PST for a pregame party on the Orleans Arena Concourse. Event is complimentary. Cash bar and appetizers will be served with special appearances by the SMC Cheer Team and Spirit Band!
Watching in Moraga?
Join your fellow Gaels in Dryden Hall to watch the game.
Quotable
“I love this school,” Kuhse said. “Basketball’s obviously a big part of it. I believed in all the guys in this team that we could really do something special, no matter who on the outside thought what. I wanted to give it another go with these guys.”