- Matchup: St. Mary’s Gaels vs Santa Clara Broncos
- Date: Saturday, January 17, 2026
- Venue: Leavey Center, Santa Clara, CA
- Broadcast: ESPN+
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Join us as the St. Mary’s Gaels (17-2) clash with the Santa Clara Broncos (15-5) at the Leavey Center this Saturday.
In their previous outing, the St. Mary’s Gaels triumphed over San Francisco with an 82-68 victory. The Gaels committed 16 fouls compared to San Francisco’s 20. They successfully made 11 of their 26 attempts from beyond the arc. San Francisco’s free throw shooting ended at 38.5%, converting 5 of 13 attempts, while they secured 24 rebounds (4 offensive, 20 defensive) without any blocks. The Dons registered 11 assists and 6 steals during the game. Defensively, St. Mary’s held their opponent to 44.1% shooting on 26 of 59 attempts while providing 18 assists, forcing 9 turnovers, and securing 6 steals. The Gaels grabbed a total of 36 rebounds, with 7 being offensive, and excelled at the free-throw line, sinking 22 of 25 for an impressive 88.0%. St. Mary’s finished the game shooting 50.0% from the field (26 out of 52) and hit 8 of 15 three-pointers.
Key player Paulius Murauskas contributed significantly, scoring 21 points on 7 of 17 shooting. He played for 37 minutes, collected 2 rebounds, and distributed 2 assists, achieving a field goal percentage of 41.2%.
St. Mary’s enters this matchup with a strong record of 17-2, averaging 79.9 points per game (ranked 120th nationally) and shooting 47.4% from the field. The Gaels are also hitting 38.6% from three-point range (146 of 378 attempts) and maintaining an 82.0% free-throw accuracy. As a unit, they average 39.6 rebounds per game and have amassed 292 assists this season, placing them 59th in the nation in assists. They average 11.3 turnovers per game and commit about 15.2 fouls nightly.
Defensively, St. Mary’s forces their opponents into 10.7 turnovers per game while garnering 18.7 personal fouls. However, they rank 248th for assists allowed, with 248 surrendered this year. Their defense permits a 40.8% shooting percentage from the field (458 of 1,122) and gives up 28.5 rebounds each game. They rank 19th nationwide in points allowed per game (65.1) and allow just 30.4% shooting from three-point territory.
In their last game, Santa Clara secured an 85-69 win over Pacific. In terms of rebounding, the Broncos allowed 33 boards to Pacific (10 offensive). They showcased a 50.0% shooting performance from three, making 11 of 22 attempts, along with a stellar 10 of 13 from the free-throw line (76.9%). Pacific managed to shoot 50.0% (24 of 48) from the field against Santa Clara, while the Broncos achieved 48.3% shooting on 29 for 60 attempts. From beyond the arc, Santa Clara made 10 of their 27 attempts (37.0%) and converted 17 free throws at an impressive 89.5%. Pacific committed 14 fouls, leading the Broncos to the line for 19 attempts, while they registered 8 steals and collected 15 defensive and 8 offensive rebounds for a total of 23 boards.
Aleksandar Gavalyugov stood out for the Broncos, scoring 37 points in 31 minutes of play. His impressive performance included 14 of 20 shooting (70.0%) and 5 rebounds.
Santa Clara holds a season record of 15-5, committing an average of 19.5 fouls per game with a free-throw percentage of 72.9%. They assist 17.9 times per contest (32nd in the nation) while averaging 11.8 turnovers. The Broncos have netted 1,667 points this season, averaging 83.4 points per game, along with 36.6 rebounds per game. Offensively, they shoot 46.6% from the field, placing them 121st nationally.
Defensively, Santa Clara ranks 120th in the country, allowing 71.4 points per game. They force 15.0 turnovers per game and permit opponents to shoot 44.8% from the field (247th in Division 1). Their defense allows 33.3% shooting from beyond the arc and opponents convert 73.6% of their free throws. They give up 15.2 assists and average 31.4 rebounds allowed per game, ranking 290th and 39th in those defensive categories.
Who will emerge victorious in this NCAA showdown against the spread?
Pick: Opt for St. Mary’s
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