The Saint Mary’s Gaels (18-2), the nation’s top shooting team, will go head-to-head against the BYU Cougars (16-7) at Marriott Center. Action begins at 9:00 pm ET on Thursday, Feb. 4.
The Cougars enter this game hoping for similar success after topping Pepperdine 88-77 in their last matchup. Kyle Collinsworth was a key piece, recording his ninth double-double of the season with 24 points and 10 assists. The Gaels, meanwhile, are coming off a 68-65 win against Pacific in their last game. Joe Rahon had a good game for Saint Mary’s, registering 13 points, six assists, and three steals.
It will be a showdown of conflicting tempos, as the up-and-down Cougars (ranked 14th in the nation in possessions per game) will look to push the slow-paced Gaels (348th in possessions per game). The Gaels should also expect to protect the ball well. They rank 17th at avoiding errors (TO% of 15.4%). Conversely, the Cougars force the 86th-fewest turnovers in the nation (opponents’ TO% of 17.5%).
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Gaels winning the first matchup 85-74. Jock Landale had a standout performance in the victory, putting up 14 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and two blocks.
Notes
In its last game, Saint Mary’s won by a margin of three points. BYU is 1-3 in games decided by a margin of three points or less. Saint Mary’s has a 2-1 record in close games.
The Saint Mary’s Gaels have the nation’s top offensive rating (126.3). The BYU Cougars have a defensive rating of 99.7 (ranked 105th).
Saint Mary’s has the first-ranked average field goal percentage at 53.2%. BYU has not won a game this season when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage (0-1).
The BYU Cougars rank higher based on their effective field goal percentage (57th) than their field goal percentage (70th). The Saint Mary’s Gaels rank first for both their FG% and eFG%.
Saint Mary’s ranks among the best in the nation in assists at eighth (18.4 assists per game). BYU is ranked 31st with 16.3 assists per game.
BYU, the 82nd-ranked team in blocked shots, records an average of 4.3 per game. Saint Mary’s does worse, ranked 212th with 3.1.
BYU ranks 80th in offensive rebounding. When it comes to defensive rebounds, Saint Mary’s ranks 72nd.
On average, BYU makes 6.9 steals per game. Saint Mary’s has a superb 5-1 record when it gives up at least 6 steals.
