Saint Mary’s Gives Gonzaga a Taste of Their Own Medicine

Saint Mary’s of California and Gonzaga have had an ongoing rivalry for over 70 years, since they first met on Dec. 17, 1955. The Zags have repeatedly over and over again dominated the Gaels with a 52-18 record when going head-to-head with them. 

On Jan. 31, 2026, the Zags played the Gaels at home with a packed crowd. Students spilled over the stands as they all packed in, adorning the school’s colors of red and blue. The atmosphere was intense throughout the game, with the stands and band so loud you could barely hear yourself think. The Zags took the win by eight points and felt on top of the world as they dominated Saint Mary’s once more.

Just a month later, on Feb. 28, 2026, Saint Mary’s brought Gonzaga to their home court in Moraga, California, with the West Coast Conference title on the line for both teams. Entering the game, SMC had a record of 15-2 in the conference, and Gonzaga had a 16-1 record.

The Gaels brought the same energy from the last matchup with their own student section filled to the brim for the rival matchup. Straight from the get-go, sophomore guard Mikey Lewis, for Saint Mary’s, riled up the crowd with his scoring. But it wasn’t enough as the Gaels trailed by seven at the half.

Saint Mary’s didn’t let that affect their game as they came back and tied it with 11 minutes left in the second half. Lewis made seven three-pointers on the Zags and scored 31 points total that game. He played a significant role in the Gaels 18 point swing they made to win the game. 

It wasn’t all scoring for SMC as they dominated the Bulldogs defensively in the second half. Coming out of the half, the Bulldogs missed seven of their first nine shots and went scoreless for 3 minutes straight. With the energy from all the defensive stops, the Gaels went on a 23-6 scoring run.

Other factors played into the game as well, like Gonzaga’s center Graham Ike fouling out in crunch time. Ike plays a crucial role in Gonzaga’s dominance as he’s aggressive on the glass and a shot blocker, keeping anyone and everyone out of the paint. With Ike out of the game, the Zags lost a big defensive contributor and scorer when the Bulldogs needed him the most. 

The game was a big loss for Gonzaga as they were forced to share the West Coast Conference title with Saint Mary’s as they both ended conference play with a 16-2 record. With Gonzaga’s inability to keep Lewis off the 3-point line and players getting into foul trouble, they took only their 18th loss to Saint Mary’s as they got kicked off the high horse they were on. 

This win marks the fourth consecutive season that the Gaels have had at least a share of the West Coast Conference title. Both teams have clinched a March Madness spot and are prepared to try to make a deep run into the tournament.