Gonzaga Vs St Mary's Ca: Saint Mary's 70-59 Win Caps Final WCC Regular-Season Meeting
Gonzaga Vs St Mary's Ca delivered a defining moment on Feb. 28, 2026: Mikey Lewis made seven 3-pointers and scored 31 points as Saint Mary’s beat No. 9 Gonzaga 70-59 in Moraga, Calif., a victory that produced a share of the West Coast Conference regular-season title and served as the final regular-season clash between the rivals before Gonzaga moves to the Pac-12 next season.
Gonzaga Vs St Mary's Ca: Final WCC regular-season game
The Saturday-night meeting in Moraga ended 70-59 in favor of the Gaels. The result gave Saint Mary’s a share of the West Coast Conference regular-season crown and extended a sustained period of success for the home team. The game also carried the weight of conference realignment: it was the last WCC regular-season game between these long-time rivals before Gonzaga joins the Pac-12 next season.
Key performers and pivotal moments
Mikey Lewis led Saint Mary’s with 31 points and seven made 3-pointers. Joshua Dent added 14 points and Mantas Juenaz contributed 12 as the Gaels rallied to their seventh consecutive win and their 26th straight home victory. For Gonzaga, Graham Ike scored 17 points before fouling out with four minutes left. Adam Miller scored 14 and Tyon Grant-Foster added 13 for the Bulldogs, who suffered their second loss this season to an unranked opponent.
The Gaels trailed by seven at halftime but tied the game with 11 minutes remaining and then separated. Lewis hit three 3-pointers and scored 11 points during a decisive 23-6 run. Earlier sequences included the Bulldogs missing seven of their first nine shots and enduring a three-minute scoreless stretch while Saint Mary’s kept within striking distance. Grant-Foster provided a spark for Gonzaga with six points in a three-minute span, and Graham followed with an eight-point burst that included a three-point play.
Seeds, byes and the path forward in the WCC
Gonzaga had already clinched the top seed for the conference tournament. As the top seed, Gonzaga earns multiple byes into the conference semifinals on March 9. Saint Mary’s finished as the No. 2 seed and also secures byes into the WCC semifinals.
Conference realignment and the rivalry's bittersweet end
Conference realignment looms large over the result. The matchup was noted as the last WCC regular-season meeting before Gonzaga departs for the rebooted Pac-12 next season, a move that will reshape the competitive landscape and end an era in the West Coast Conference. The two programs have been the most dominant teams in the conference for the past two-plus decades, combining to win or share the conference title for the past 27 seasons.
The final-season backdrop included reminders of Gonzaga’s footprint in the league: the McCarthey Athletic Center, nicknamed The Kennel, opened in 2004 and hosted 175 WCC games for Gonzaga, with the Zags losing 10 in that span. The broader conference history was highlighted with a string of long losing runs against Gonzaga: Pepperdine’s last victory over Gonzaga came in 2002, and the Waves have since lost 51 straight to the Zags; San Diego has lost 20 straight; Loyola Marymount has dropped 35 of the last 37 meetings; Santa Clara, despite a 23-7 season and a chance at its first NCAA tournament bid in 30 years, has lost 53 of the last 57 in the series; San Francisco’s national championships dated to the 1950s when Bill Russell was on campus, while the Dons have lost 35 consecutive to Gonzaga; Pacific has lost all 23 matchups with Gonzaga, the latest a 71-62 result.
Newer conference members and surprising results were part of the narrative: Seattle, which just joined the WCC this season, met Gonzaga for the first time since 1980 on Jan. 2 in Spokane and lost in overtime; the teams’ second meeting finished 71-50. Portland handed Gonzaga its only WCC loss so far this season, an 87-80 upset that confined Gonzaga to 40 percent shooting; the Pilots had previously lost 20 straight to Gonzaga and were 2-47 against coach Mark Few before that win. Portland later visited The Kennel on a Wednesday night, where Gonzaga won its final WCC home game 89-48.
Saint Mary’s has been one of the toughest opponents for Gonzaga in conference play. Randy Bennett’s teams have beaten coach Mark Few 17 times, accounting for 41. 6 percent of Few’s conference defeats. The Gaels are 6-6 against Gonzaga over the past 12 meetings; that included clinch — unclear in the provided context.
Spring training aside: Mets vs. Astros note
The broader sports roundup embedded with recent coverage also included a spring training note: Brett Baty is making a start at first base and Tobias Myers is taking the mound for the Mets at Clover Park. Freddy Peralta is making his first start of spring training. The Mets are scheduled to visit the Astros for a Grapefruit League game this afternoon, a matchup that was mentioned twice in the coverage. Commentary included a fan-facing line inviting chat about dream strikeout or run scenarios in the comments. Additional publication and copyright details were included in the original spring training note, but full particulars are unclear in the provided context.
Recent updates indicate these developments; details may evolve as postseason seeding and scheduling are finalized.
