Halftime Report
Only one more half stands between Saint Mary’s and the win they were favored to collect coming into this evening. They have a bit of a cushion as they currently lead Pacific 32-14.
Saint Mary’s entered the matchup having won six straight and they’re just one half away from another. Will they make it seven, or will Pacific step up and spoil it? We’ll know soon.
Who’s Playing
Pacific Tigers @ Saint Mary’s Gaels
Current Records: Pacific 6-14, Saint Mary’s 14-6
How To Watch
What to Know
If the oddsmakers’ predictions hold true, the near future looks bright for Saint Mary’s. The Saint Mary’s Gaels and the Pacific Tigers will face off in a West Coast battle at 11:00 p.m. ET on Thursday at University Credit Union Pavilion. Pacific is crawling into this match hobbled by five consecutive losses, while Saint Mary’s will bounce in with six consecutive wins.
San Fran. typically has all the answers at home, but on Saturday Saint Mary’s proved too difficult a challenge. They enjoyed a cozy 77-60 victory over the Dons. Winning is a bit easier when you make nine more threes than your opponent, as Saint Mary’s did.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Saint Mary’s to victory, but perhaps none more so than Mitchell Saxen, who scored 16 points along with eight rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Joshua Jefferson, who shot 4-for-5 from long range and dropped a double-double on 21 points and ten rebounds.
Meanwhile, the Tigers suffered a grim 88-69 defeat to the Broncos on Thursday.
Moe Odum put forth a good effort for the losing side as he scored 21 points along with five rebounds. As a matter of fact, that’s the most points he has scored all season.
The Gaels are on a roll lately: they’ve won 11 of their last 12 games, which provided a nice bump to their 14-6 record this season. As for the Tigers, they have not been sharp recently, as they’ve lost six of their last seven matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 6-14 record this season.
Thursday’s match is shaping up to be a scrappy match: Saint Mary’s have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 40.8 rebounds per game. It’s a different story for Pacific, though, as they’ve been averaging only 27.9 rebounds per game. Given Saint Mary’s sizeable advantage in that area, Pacific will need to find a way to close that gap.
Everything came up roses for Saint Mary’s against Pacific in their previous matchup back in February of 2023 as the team secured a 83-52 win. Will Saint Mary’s repeat their success, or does Pacific have a better game plan this time around? We’ll find out soon enough.
Odds
Saint Mary’s is a big 27-point favorite against Pacific, according to the latest college basketball odds.
The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Gaels as a 28-point favorite.
The over/under is set at 135 points.
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Series History
Saint Mary’s has won 9 out of their last 10 games against Pacific.
Feb 23, 2023 – Saint Mary’s 83 vs. Pacific 52Feb 25, 2021 – Saint Mary’s 58 vs. Pacific 46Feb 15, 2020 – Saint Mary’s 71 vs. Pacific 63Jan 04, 2020 – Pacific 107 vs. Saint Mary’s 99Feb 21, 2019 – Saint Mary’s 58 vs. Pacific 32Feb 07, 2019 – Saint Mary’s 78 vs. Pacific 66Jan 20, 2018 – Saint Mary’s 72 vs. Pacific 69Jan 04, 2018 – Saint Mary’s 74 vs. Pacific 56Feb 02, 2017 – Saint Mary’s 74 vs. Pacific 70Jan 19, 2017 – Saint Mary’s 62 vs. Pacific 50
